Shrapnel
by M J Azilem
Summary: Jasper is a young man who has been wounded in the war in Vietnam. After returning to the states he is alone and homeless, until he meets Alice. Everyone is human. Follows the Jasper Alice cannon as they go and find the Cullens. My first twilight fic. Please review.
1. Back in the world

Thank you for for reading and reviewing. Please be kind if you find grammatical errors or typos. I'll try to fix them. Hope you enjoy.

**Shrapnel**

March 1971

Jasper

It had been cloudy all day so it was no real surprise when it started raining. In fact I knew it was going to rain because my whole body ached worse today than yesterday. I just wish I had someplace to be when the rain started.

I've been back in the world for almost two months now. Back from the dark jungles and the heat of Vietnam to the now dark and cold streets of Philadelphia.

I'm originally from Texas, born and raised. Had even been nicknamed "Tex" by the guys in my unit. I had looked like the all American boy at the time; Sandy blond hair and green eyes with a charming smile and a southern drawl.

They didn't know who I really was then and even I don't know who I am now.

I know I'm on the street, that I'm dirty, hungry, tired, lost, and in pain. I know that every other step I take is sending pain through me. I know that I don't know what to do about it. I know this feeling of hopelessness, it's not a new feeling for me.

I have been orphaned literally and figuratively many times over by family, country, and well God.

My clothes are soaked through and I can feel the cold through to my bones. It's a hard cold rain and I know I can't stand it much longer. I know I'm in a bad way.

I cross my arms around my chest, duck my head against the wind and the driving rain. I try to concentrate, left foot, right, left foot, right. I consider for a moment just giving up, I haven't got a clue where I'm going. Or what's going to be waiting for me when I get there.

I am homeless. I was discharged from the VA hospital two months ago. They told me, while packing me up, to come back and use their resources. Told me there would be people who could help me find a job, people who would help me find housing.

I couldn't do it, I couldn't go back. The anguish that filled that building made it impossible for me to step foot in it again. So I didn't and consequently I haven't found a job, or a home, or even a friend.

Since then I've been living like a nomad, on the streets not seeing and not being seen, barely scrapping by. Making my way through the streets without knowing which direction I'm going, wondering like I'm trying to loose myself.

The uneven sidewalk I'm walking is treacherous enough without the rain. In the rain with my boots that are so worn there is no traction left, I know I should stop. But the rain and the wind make that an unbearable option, my face already feels raw and numb. If I don't get somewhere dry, I'm going to catch pneumonia or I'm gonna trip and fall. Damn it all I'll probably wind up face down in a puddle just deep enough to drown me.

Even though I hate what I've become. I still don't think I want to die face down in a puddle.

The neon OPEN sign was like a beacon in the fog. It hung in the window of a small diner. Without a thought, acting on pure instinct my hand grips the cold doorknob like it is my last lifeline. I hurry inside and pull the door hard against the wind to shut it behind me. Once inside the door, the diner is warm and bright and I don't want to move. I stand there in front of the counter my clothes and hair dripping on the doormat. When I try moving my wet clothing pulls and rubs and sticks to my skin, making me that much more uncomfortable.

My irritation at my predicament turns quickly to embarrassment when I feel someone staring at me. I haven't spent much time with people since coming back to the States, It feels awkward to be standing in a brightly lit room full of civilians, people who I know are judging me. Looking up in the direction of the staring I find an amused pair of eyes sitting at the counter. Shockingly they belonged to one of the prettiest creatures I have ever seen.

I quickly turn my eyes away from her feeling utterly inadequate.

Alice

**It is really pouring outside when the door to the diner directly behind me opens unexpectedly. I thought no one would be crazy enough to still be out on such a cold night in this downpour. There is a cold gust of wind that runs up my spine as a man slides in and pulls the door shut.**

**I turn around and the sight of him makes me giggle a little, he looks like an angry cat mad because it's wet. The poor creature is soaked through to the bone and dripping. He stands there in the doorway a moment as if to get his bearings. No one in the diner moves, no one offers him a seat. No one else seems to be paying any attention to him but me.**

**I'm not surprised. His coat is army green, a color that people have been choosing to ignore since the War is a taboo subject.**

**He stands in the doorway and now seems to be deciding what he is going to do next. I can't help but notice his face is quite handsome but he looks tired and thin. He probably just come in to step out the rain.**

**He must have felt my eyes on him because he looks up and catches me looking back at him, he quickly adverts his eyes.**

Jasper

I don't want to stand here any longer. I need to find someplace to sit, preferably somewhere the wait staff wouldn't feel the need to visit me. I don't have two quarters to rub together. I don't know what I can order with that. Maybe I can stall until the rain stops or eases up a bit.

Most respectable establishments don't let people who look like me stay in their places of business too long. I probably scare away the paying customers you know.

They don't like to be reminded of the War.

I've had on rare occasion found a sympathetic soul who'll buy a Veteran a cup of coffee. But mostly people go out of their way to avoid me. People don't like soldiers.

I make up my mind and start for the back booth when my bad leg betrays me. With a shot of pain that runs from my calf up to my hip it decides it doesn't want to hold my weight. My wet tractionless boot does nothing but quicken the speed at which I am going to fall on my face.

I am going down and then sure I am going to fall and then I don't.

Like an angel she swooped down and caught me.

She grabbed my arm just in time and enabling me to get my balance and my footing back.

"Thank you, ma'am." I speak softly wincing as I put weight back on my injured leg.

TBC...


	2. Pie and Rain

Jasper

I stand for a moment just looking at her, she has dark hair and kind eyes. Her hand still on my arm is soft. With some embarrassment I realize I've been staring, she must have sensed my anxiety.

"Let me help you." She holds my arm tight and smiles at me. She is so sweet and sincere, I can't refuse. I nod still shocked by her kindness and she guides me as I carefully limp to the booth in the back.

I sit down gratefully and struggle to get out of my rain soaked jacket. I notice when I look up that she has disappeared back the way she'd come and I find myself disappointed that she has gone.

I berate myself for thinking that she would stay. I know one act of kindness doesn't mean she wants anything to do with me. Still I can't help my disappointment she was so pretty and it had been so long since I'd talked to a pretty girl.

_I was popular once. When I was in school a million years ago. Everyone had liked me. _

I dig through my pockets trying to see what kind of change I can find. Someone comes up behind me and I panic a bit, I really sat in the wrong seat. I hate sitting with my back to the door.

I figure it must be the waitress coming to take my order. I haven't seen a menu yet but I doubt I can afford anything more than a cup of coffee.

To my amazement it isn't a waitress, it's my angel. She slides into the seat opposite me with ease like we're old friends and sets her cup of coffee down on the table.

"I'm Alice." She holds out her hand and without thinking I take it. She smiles at me again.

She has the prettiest smile.

**Alice**

**He shakes my hand and then pulls his hand back nervously tugging at the cuffs of his shirt sleeves, like he is hoping he can pull them down further then they'll go. Then he glances back up at me tentatively.**

**"What's your name?" I prompt him hoping my smile will make him feel less uncomfortable.**

**"Oh hum, Jack...I mean Jasper." He smiles shyly back at me. He has a nice smile and h****e is so young. I'm surprised. He can't be much older than my sixteen years, despite the army coat he's wearing. I know it's rude to stare but I can't take my eyes off of him. He is beautiful, just looking at him makes my heart beat faster. **

**"It's nice to meet you Jasper. I had a feeling I was supposed to be here today for something. You must be that something. You sure kept me waiting a long time." Honestly I mean every word of what I said no matter how crazy it sounds, I just have feelings about things.**

**He looks at me kinda strange but the look fades and he smiles again. Oh his smile make me smile it is so infectious. **

**"Well then I'm sorry ma'am for keeping you waiting." He looks sort of bashful at me. I find the look extremely charming. **

**The waitress finally makes her way back to the back booth where we sit.**

**"What'll it be?" I see the uncertain look in Jasper's eyes as he digs in his pockets again. He pulls out about sixty cents. **

**He looks hungry to me so I'm surprised when he orders "Cup of coffee."dejectedly. The waitress takes no chances she collects his money then and there.**

**In the spur of the moment I know what I want to do. I dig into my pocket and pulled out all the money I have, about two dollars. "And a piece of pie please." I announce boldly to the waitress.**

**"What kind?" She asked rather callously.**

**"What kind do you like?" I ask Jasper. He seems totally shocked by this and proceeds to stutter. **

**"Aapple?" It's a question but I know what he means.**

**"A piece of apple pie, please." I tell the woman and hand over my money. "And two forks if you don't mind." **

**She rolls her eyes. She has no doubt realized we can't afford to tip her.**

**I turn back to the young soldier that sits across from me. He looks even more uncomfortable, if that is possible, since I've ordered the pie for us to share. **

**I'm certain that he won't refuse it when it comes. He may be a gentleman but he's still hungry. **

**"Wow it's really raining out there." I make small talk, just to break the ice.**

**"I think I got caught in the worst of it. That's why I came in, to get out of the rain." I knew that was why. We both knew he wouldn't have come into the diner if it had not been raining, he didn't have the money to pay for anything on the menu. I knew the smell of the diner was torture when you're hungry and can't order anything.**

**The waitress came back and unceremoniously set his coffee and our pie down on the table and was gone just as fast as she had come.**

**He glances at the pie and then down at his black coffee. I pick up one fork and held out the other to him. "Well, dig in." **

**"I..." He starts to protest but his stomach gets the better of him and he relents, like I knew he would, accepting my offer.**

**For all her perceived grouchiness the waitress gave us a nice large piece of pie. Maybe the next time I'm around this way, if I have some money, I'll stop in and give her a nice tip.**

**We eat the pie in silence. There are no words needed. We are both hungry and it tastes like the nicest thing I've ever eaten. He obviously is enjoying it as well though he doesn't take his fair share. I guess chivalry isn't dead. **

**"Thank you." He says as he put his fork down, yielding the last piece of crust to me.**

**"My pleasure." I assure him and smile. He looked like he needed both the pie and a smile.**

Jasper

The pie went fast. It was wonderful while it lasted. I don't know if eating it was the best thing to do. I swear I feel hungrier now that it's gone.

I'm still cold from the rain and I rest my hands around my coffee cup, enjoying its warmth.

I can't believe I was sitting in a booth with such a pretty young lady. I notice sadly she seems to be nearly as down on her luck as I am.

"Where are you from?" She asks abruptly after setting her coffee cup down. "It's just I noticed you've got an accent, Southern right?"

I nod. "Yes, I'm from Texas." I sat up a little straighter. I miss Texas. I know I can't go home.

"I've never been to Texas, is it nice? I've heard…what do they say? Oh 'everything's bigger in Texas'" I chuckled a little I haven't heard that it what seemed like years.

"It's a nice place. Are you from here?" I ask just as curious about her as she seems to be about me.

"No not originally, I've been a little bit of all over." She smiled coyly. She was a mystery.

It got late and I didn't even realize it. I was so engulfed in her, the way she smiled, the way she giggled, the way she talked excitedly about everything and nothing.

The rain had stopped by the time they kicked us out. We are the last customers to leave and the only people on the sidewalk when we get outside.

"I hate the cold." She says as we stand in the glow of the street lights.

I know this is the end. No doubt she will say her goodbyes here and I will be left with only the memory of this funny little angel.

Suddenly without warning her fingers wrap around mine.

TBC...


	3. Sleep

**Alice**

**He flinches away from me when I take his hand but I keep hold of him, I don't want him to disappear. "Come on." I encourage. **

**Without a word or a second thought he comes with me. I lead him through the streets I've recently become familiar with.**

**I realize with some guilt that I've practically been dragging him in my haste to get inside. He's having difficulty keeping up so I slow down and keep pace with him. **

"**We're going just around the corner there. I've been staying at this place; it's all set up." He just nods. I had a feeling he is a man of few words but also that he might have said something if his teeth hadn't been clenched. **

"**Here we are." I whisper softly and lead him down a small alley. I make sure no one is looking and then ushered him inside through the back door. **

**Inside it is darker than it was outside, no light from the street can be seen through the thick curtains over the windows. **

**It isn't a problem I've been staying here long enough to make precautions. I take a pack of matches from my pocket and light the candle I'd left on the counter by the door. **

**It isn't much light but it is enough to make our way around. **

**Out of the cold and the wind Jasper seemed to find some relief. Looking around in the dim orange light he realizes where we are. **

"**You've been staying in someone else's home?" his words are soft, not accusing, perhaps a little amused.**

"**They haven't been here in awhile, sad to see a perfectly good home go unused." I smiled, when I found the place it looked sad like no one had been there in years. Anyway I'm just borrowing it. We won't be here much longer, I'm sure of it. **

"**Come on, you can sleep here." I lead him into the living room where there is a couch. He wearily slumps down on it. I notice that even though he's tired his eyes wonder the room. Looking for something unseen in the dark. **

"**You can lie down." I motion for him to put his head on the pillow, it isn't dusty or anything, it had been covered with a sheet until I got there. He hesitates then lays back. He looks like he might ay something but his eyes start to droop almost immediately and then they close. I placed a blanket over him and let him sleep. **

**In the morning as the sun light comes in thin slivers through the panels of the curtains I go to check on him. He is still asleep, it looks as if he hasn't moved all night. He was so exhausted he'd just passed out. **

**I reached out and touched his shoulder.**

Jasper

Something wakes me and darkness retreats as my senses come back to me. I was alone. I have been alone since I left Texas so whatever is touching my shoulder must be a threat. All of my nightmares flood my mind and I know one of them has caught up with me and is clawing at my shoulder.

I sit up fast and push back from the thing.

Trying to escape it.

Then it spoke in a soft melodic voice, it said my name, and all my fears dispersed.

I blink my sleep filled eyes and look up at the dark haired angel who has the power to banish my demons.

**Alice**

**He jolts upright and startles me nearly to death when I touch him. Then he pushes himself back into the couch and away from me. I scared him and I feel awful about it. **

**I want to hug him and make it better but I know that probably isn't a good idea. He's so jumpy. **

"**Jasper." I whispered his name trying to calm him. **

**He opens his eyes and gives me a strange look. "It's me Alice, remember we meet last night at the diner?" **

**his expression of awe gives way to recognition and the tension eases in his shoulders. Relaxing back down into the couch he coughs slightly and grimaces. **

"**I'm sorry I woke you." I apologize as I put my coat on. "It's just that I figured you would be hungry and I wanted to know what you wanted for breakfast."**

**He composes himself and sets the blanket I'd covered him with aside. He stands slowly sucking in a sharp breath. Looking bashfully through his scruffy bangs he conceded his vote "Whatever you like ma'am." **

**TBC...**


	4. Evening Thoughts

May 1971

Jasper

What ever she wants that is what I want to give Alice, my angel. The past month and a half have been the best I've had in recent memory. It's all because of her. Since the night at the diner we have scarcely been apart. We've been living in the empty house. I'm amazed no one has caught on and called the police.

She has an amazing talent for being at the right place at the right time. It's like she has a sixth sense.

Now we sit on the steps of the library in the dim evening light. Her hand is in mine and we quietly watch as the people pass around us. I'm musing about the interesting day I've had. Today Alice brought me to the library. It is the first time I've been to the library here and I've never been to one so big. I lost myself in the stacks and stacks of books. We spent all day here, I think I spent at least half of it in the history section.

Alice flitted around the shelves. Picking up a book here and turning the pages of a magazine there. Mostly she Waited.

Thats how she gets by. She goes out and waits, invariably when she's around someone drops money. She never steals it from their pocket but she always finds it on the ground. Mostly loose change but sometimes bills.

I asked her once why she thought this happened.

She explained she had never known her parents and she imagined that the money she often found was the universe's way of taking care of her.

I want to take care of her.

The days are starting to get longer now and it's warming up. I think maybe when the chill is out of the air my leg won't ache as much.

Then I'll be able to get a job and then Alice won't have to rely on the loose change that falls from people's pockets.

**Alice**

**I knew he'd like the library. He's smart and interested in lots of things. It was amazing though watching him, I never knew someone to be so interested in a books. **

**I would much rather go to the mall but I know the mall is usually too crowed for him and it's important to me that he's comfortable.**

**For now my job is taking care of him. Because the poor boy needs someone to take care of him. It's the job I've wanted since he first stepped into the diner two months ago. **

**I've taken him into my home and my heart. I can't imagine my life without Jasper. **

**Not that it's been an easy two months but it has had its wonderful moments. **

**He's the strong silent type. He doesn't say much but I generally know what he means to say. He's a wonderful presences and when he does talk he has an amazing southern draw that makes my heart skip a beat. **

**He is a another mouth to feed. But he has the ability to make a peanut butter sandwich seem like chocolate layer cake from the Ritz. **

**He is my fresh start. **

**He really needs a fresh start himself. I'm worried about him. There's rarely been a night in the past two months he hasn't been woken by a nightmare. He doesn't eat much and says he's not hungry when I can clearly see he is. **

**We sit on the steps together and I hold his hand. We should really get back to the house, there's a chill in the evening air and I know it won't be good for Jasper to be out in. **

**Despite my best efforts to take care of him he seems to be getting worse. He's in more pain from one day to the next. Daily he is growing thinner and paler before my eyes. **

**He limps a little slower each day. **

**I know I need to get him help. **

**The right time hasn't come yet. **

**It will soon.**

"**Lets go." I whisper and squeeze his hand. I spring to my feet and do my best to help him to his. He squeezes my hand to reassure me he's alright. But I know better. He's eyes are the give away. He's tired. **

**We walk block after block at his pace, my arms around his waist. His arm around my shoulder. We might look like a couple of kids back headed home after dinner an a movie if it weren't for are well worn clothes and the painful hitch in his walk. **

**Finally inside he exhausted. He sheds his green army jacket and sits down heavy on the sofa. His blond hair droops in front of his eyes as he attempts to lean over to undo his boot laces. The pain must have been agitated by his bending forward because he sucks in a breath and sits back quickly holding his thigh. **

Jasper

It is like an explosion. White spots fill my eye sight and all I can think of is the pain surging through my leg and up through my hip. She puts her hand on my shoulder and knowing she's there helps, but I can't do anything but wait to the pain to stops. After a minute with my eyes closed tight the pain lessens enough for my to open my eyes and find hers. She smiles and it makes me feel better but Im too busy concentrating on breathing through the pain to smile back.

She unties my boots and eases them off, then she helps me lay down. I am immensely grateful for everything she's done for me. The blanket she pulls up over me is warm.

She brushes the hair out of my face and whispers to me once more. "Try to sleep, I have a feeling tomorrow will be a big day."

TBC...

Thank you for reading


	5. the fair

Thank you to those who reviewed and who will review.

Jasper

The St Joesph street fair to benefit the needy is the last place I want to be. There are bright lights, noisy rides, carney's yelling, and clowns.

The place is crowded with people and young children running this way and that way. I cringe and grit my teeth in anticipation of the shooting pain that happens whenever someone bumps me.

Alice said she thinks we should be here and I trust her. She is rarely wrong.

She is at my side trying to comfort me, her thin arm is wrapped around mine.

"You could go back and wait." She suggests tilting her head towards mine as she keeps an eye out for what she has a feeling is coming.

As much as I don't want to be in the middle of all these people I don't want Alice to be alone either. "No, that's alright."

There is lots of dropped change around to pick up with all the children buying popcorn and playing carnival games. We move slowly through the crowd.

No one pays us much attention. That's how it's been; my time since getting back, if it weren't for Alice on my arm I might think I was a ghost.

"There!" She points excitedly ahead of us through the happy families and high school couples on their first dates.

She is adorable when she gets excited, My Alice. Her eyes sparkle and she gets a bounce in her step.

**Alice**

**I let go of Jasper's arm and run ahead in my excitement. I know he's behind me, my handsome soldier, I feel bad I know he hates it when I'm out of his sight. I am just so excited.**

**The nice man with a beard at the booth say it's four dollars for two guesses and that the person closest to guessing how many Jelly Beans are in the large jar wins the jelly beans and half the money they raise. **

**I dig four dollars out of my pocket. This is what I've been waiting for. **

**Jasper limps up cautiously and stands close next to me. He probably think I'm crazy spending our money like this but I have a feeling. **

**I fill out one ticket making my guess after glancing at the jar. **

**514 jelly beans. **

**Happy with the guess I return the slip with my name on it and the pen to the man. **

"**What about your other guess, miss?" He stops me before I turn to go handing me back the pen. I pause a moment to think**

"**What do you think?" I ask Jasper. His hands are shoved in his fading army jacket and his hair is really starting to hang in his face. One of these days I will get a pair of scissors and cut it. **

"**Hum 516." He says lowly into my ear so no one else can hear. He has the slightest smile on his face, I can tell he finds this amusing. **

"**Right." I smile proudly as I fill out the second slip. **

"**The Winner will be announced at four this afternoon. He or she must be present to except their winnings." The man recited.**

"**Don't worry we will be." I took Jaspers arm once more, we would be back at four and if my feelings are right we will win and then we'll have enough money to get where we need to be. **

**Now I need to find a nice place where we can sit and wait.**

Jasper

Alice has collected nearly 15 dollars in loose change off the ground, now we stand by the stage waiting for the 4 o'clock announcement. Alice squeezed my handed with both of her's and bops up and down at my side.

I stand still and straight trying not to move too much. Presenting a stand-offish air hoping people won't crowd near us.

I'm realistic about this contest. The odds are definitely against us. I am not looking forward to facing her after we loose.

She has my hand in a death grip as the man with the jar approaches the microphone.

Alice squeals as soon as the man opens his mouth. I nearly miss it but I hear my name called.

People all turn and look in are direction as Alice Dances excitedly next to me. I'm too stunned to move as people start to clap.

"You won." Alice exclaims , they all seem so happy and excited with their popcorn and cotton candy. I feel excited too, it's been along time since I won anything.

Alice leads me through the people. They part to let us by. Some of the faces change as they see us. A lady with red hair has an expression akin to pity on her face, a young boy stares, another whispers to his father who hushes him. It all makes me terribly uncomfortable.

Alice doesn't seem to notice.

The man from the booth meets us at the stairs to the stage, he congratulates us and hands us the jelly bean jar and an envelop.

Alice holds the jar as I open the envelop. I am shocked and pleased at what I find. "200 dollars."

Alice smiles knowingly. "Come on Jasper we have to go pack."

"For what?" I ask not knowing what she's thinking.

"You'll find out." She says matter of factually. I start to ask another question but am cut short as she kisses me on the cheek.

It is a wonderful feeling being kiss by a beautiful girl.

I don't need to know where we're going as long as I'm with Alice I be happy.

TBC...

hope you enjoyed


	6. The Depot

**Alice**

**The green Jelly Beans are my favorite. Jasper likes the black ones. **

**I pour what I can carry of the jar into the satchel bag I've packed with my things and hand the jar and the rest of the jelly beans to the first kids we pass on our way to the bus station. There's no time to wait and see the expression on the kid's face but I'm sure it lights up. **

**I smile, I'm excited too, we've got a bus to catch. **

**The bus depot is a big place with lots of people. I take Jasper's hand and weave us through the crowds to a grey hound bus desk. There is no one there to help us when we get there. **

**I stand on my tip toes trying to see into the back to see where they are. **

**Jasper coughs quietly to my right, when I look back at him I swear he's hiding that he's chuckling at me. **

"**Uumm, where exactly are we going?" He leans against the counter, his army jacket hanging loosely over his thin frame. **

**He looks tired, I made him hurry and pack after we won the money. It wasn't like we had a lot to pack but still I think it took a toll on him. **

"**We're going west." I look at schedule board. "Yeah, Washington, that's it." **

"**Hum, ok, if you're sure." He looks comfortable with my decision and I appreciate his vote of confidence.**

"**I am."**

Jasper

She is a constant amazement to me. She knew exactly what she wanted to do with the money when we won it. I was shocked when she said we were going to buy bus tickets.

If I've learned anything these past couple of months it's that I should trust Alice, so I do.

Finally some one comes assist us at the counter. The older man doesn't flinch or smile when Alice asks for too tickets to Washington state, He takes our money and and hands us two tickets.

I don't think I would be brave enough to trade all that money for tickets into the great unknown, if I didn't trust Alice. It could have bought a lot of bread and peanut butter, maybe even jelly. But there is no doubting Alice is lucky. If she says we should go, I'll follow her.

She says we have to go for the both of us.

"We've got six dollars left and two hours to kill." Alice smiles at me. She has the prettiest smile. "We should find someplace to get some food."

We walk back through the bus depot at a slower pace. I stay as close to Alice as I can as she leads the way. Looking around really for the first time see all the people, people hurrying to get where they're going, people standing looking lost and people checking their watches.

Then I become aware of the half dozen homeless that are not going anywhere. They are laying on the benches sleeping, newspaper over their heads, siting on the floor with their hand out, and crouched in corners.

Some of them are veterans like me. I squeeze Alice's hand hard. If it weren't for her that might have been me sleeping on a bench and begging for a handout.

Not going anywhere but slowly going mad.

Alice shakes my arm. "There's the place." She points to the convenience store in the depot and hurries in her excitement towards it.

I follow her and flinch as a business man with a briefcase abruptly cuts in front of us. I winch as I stop short behind Alice, a pain shoots up my hip and spots swirl in my vision. I gasp.

"Are you ok?" Alice turns back to me. I nod to assure her but I'm biting my cheek hard, the sympathetic look on her face says she knows better.

"Will you sit down? Will that help?" She asks very kindly. She moves me to a bench and and tells me to sit down. I sit slowly and close my eyes. I feel her sit down beside me. Her presence is comforting. I open my eyes a bit and give her a half smile. "Go on, I'll be fine."

"Are you sure? Do you want me to see if they have any pain killers or anything?" She's always so patient.

"Yes I'm sure. And no get what you need." Over the counter pain killers won't do anything for this pain anyway. She squeezes my hand and gets up.

I sit with my arms crossed tight in front of me and my head back. I breath slowly in and out and try to tune out all the 'too many' people.

**Alice**

**I leave him siting on a near by bench. I don't want him to have to fight his way through all these people. They're mostly going to work or going home from work and as usual two waifs trying to get where they're going aren't seen, because no one wants to look. **

**One person is looking, the man who's behind the counter spots me as soon as I enter the depots small convenience store. He eyes me through the sunglasses rack. I know he's taken one look at my clothes and suspected I'm a thief. **

**I would never steal and I 'm insulted he's looking at me accusingly. I try not to look anymore suspicious. I know that my constant looking out of the shop to where Jasper is sitting will look pretty bad so I try to look discreetly. **

**I quickly grab a pack of Fig Newtons and a bottle of root beer. I put the things up on the counter and smile politely. The shop attendant scowls at me as I pay him. I imagine he's bored and would have liked it if I tried to take something. **

**Leaving the store I stick the cookies and the soda in my bag and I put the rest of the money in the inside pocket of my denim jacket where I'm keeping the tickets. **

**Everything in it's place I look up to where I left Jasper.**

**I am shocked to find he's not there.**

**In a panic I search the depot for him.**

Jasper

The pain has died down for a dull ache instead of a stabbing. I am able to focus again.

My first thought is of Alice and how she is doing at the store. Then my thoughts are interrupted by a scuffle that rattles the bench I'm sitting on. I lift my head off the back of the bench and turn slowly, down at the other end of the row a man in a wheelchair is arguing with a man and a woman.

Sitting up and getting a better look I can the man in the wheelchair is being accused by the other man of stealing his wife's purse. I can also see now that the accused man is a veteran.

"Give it to me now or I'm calling for the cops." The man demanded leaning menicingly over the wheelchair bound soldier.

"I haven't got it, man." The haggard man stated in his defense, only making the other man more indignant.

I don't know what but something compels me to step in. I push my self up off the bench and use the back of the bench in front to steady myself as I walk down towards the conflict.

Most people are avoiding the situation so I don't have to push through any crowds. As I get closer the man starts to take the soldier by the collar of his green army jacket.

"Is there a problem here Private?" I ask the soldier loudly. The man startled lets go of the collar and turns in my direction. His face at first is fearful but then he looks at me and his expression changes to a look of disgust. "Beat it kid I'm handling this."

I stand as tall and straight as I can in front of this bully and address the veteran again. "Private what is the problem?"

The man in the chair's expression also changes when he turns and looks a me.

"Sergeant I'm glad you're here. This man says I've got his lady's purse but I don't have it, I've never even seen it." The accusing man's face was starting to turn a dark shade of red.

"The private here, sir, says he hasn't seen the purse. Was it perhaps dropped or misplaced somewhere? What does it look like? We could possibly help you look for it."

The man begins to no doubt say something rude when the mousy woman who's been standing behind him all this time looking rather mortified finally speaks up. "It's a brown bag with fringe on the bottom."

I look around the depot and easily spot it. "Is that it over there?"

The woman follows my gaze. "Oh yes that's it thank you." She says quickly grabbing her husband's arm and dragging him away neither of them looking back.

"Hey Thanks Sarg. I was sure that guy was going to tear me apart to find that bag." The soldier back up his chair and I noticed for the first time that he'd lost both his legs. A shiver went through me as I remembered all the suffering wounded I've seen.

"Are you alright Private?" I asked as I leaned back against the bench once more.

"I'm fine, you Sergeant are the one that doesn't look as hot." I chuckled softly.

"Yeah." I know it. I'm amazed I've made it this far.

"I've got something that will take the edge off the pain, man. I'll give you some as a thank you gift for saving me." He started to reach into his pocket and I stopped him.

"No, thanks anyway." I shook my head.

"You sure man? You look like you could use it." The man looked like he was itching for a fix himself.

"No, that's alright." I looked back as Alice came up behind me.

The man nodded and rolled away.

"You okay Jazz?" Alice questioned with concern as we watched the man go.

"Yes." I said tight lipped and terse trying to assure her that any fears she has are unfounded.

I said No.

"Than lets go." Alice puts my arm around her shoulders and we head to the weighting area for our bus.

Our bus bound way out west to Washington.

**TBC...**


	7. Long Road

**Alice**

**It's going to be a long ride and he's wide awake. He fell asleep back at the bus depot while we waited. If I had thought about it I might have woken him, but I probably wouldn't have had the heart. **

**Traveling across the country isn't easy for anyone.**

**I try to stay awake not to keep him company as we sit in the back of a nearly empty bus. We're heading to Pittsburgh to pick up more passengers and then on to Chicago. We watch the neon signs float passed the window in the dark. He doesn't say anything . Usually that would be okay with me but tonight it's too quiet and I'm too excited.**

**I just have to talk about something.**

**I lean over my armrest and whisper to Jasper "Did I ever tell you how I came to Philadelphia?"**

**I sit leaning over so that we we are shoulder to shoulder. He looks like he's thinking about my question and then he decides. **

"**Not all of it." He whispers his very diplomatic answer and looks at me rather expectingly. I smile mischievously.**

"**Well, it is a bit of a long story, I guess. I told you I didn't know my parents, I know I told you that part. Well I never did, I can't remember them or any of my family at all. **

**Is that odd?**

**I guess it's not I mean there must be hundreds of other people who don't know their birth parents. Any way what I do remember is being raised in a home for girls down south in Biloxi. I grew up there with a head mistress and a lots of different girls.**

**The girls use to make me so mad.**

**Lots of those girls used to 'boo hoo' and feel sorry for themselves. There were lots of real wish washy ones, that's what got on my nerves the most. **

**They could never make up their minds. **

**Me, if I want to do something I do it. You've seen that. I don't hem and haw about 'can I do it' or 'should I do it' . I do it and deal with the consequences later. It's a lot better to ask for forgiveness then to ask for permission, you know. **

**That attitude got me into a lot of trouble over the years." I feel Jasper flinch beside me. "It usually wasn't serious a ripped pair of jeans from climbing a tree, a stain on the kitchen matte because I decided I was going to pour myself some grape juice. I always got scolded, but never badly. **

**There were often new girls that came to the home. One of the girls who came had the prettiest hair and this really cute hair cut. I decided that I wanted my hair cut like her's. So one night I took scissors and I cut it. I was trimming up the sides when I accidently nicked my ear. It was my first time cutting my own hair. I must have screamed because the head mistress came and found me in the bathroom covered in hair trimmings and blood. I think that was the final straw for her. She decided she couldn't handle me and she had me moved to the state hospital. **

**It was lonely and I don't think I deserved to be there. **

**I don't remember much about it, mostly because they medicated me a lot to keep me quiet. **

**That stuff is terrible. It made my skin crawl. The only good part about being there was that thats where I saw Dr. Cullen.**

**He came and made a speech to the doctors at the hospital. By that time I'd made friends with the nurses and orderlies so I could pretty much go where I wanted. I sat in on this seminar.**

**Dr. Cullen spoke about empowering patients to heal themselves and healing through positive thinking. It really spoke to me, you know. I heard, that if I wanted to change my predicament I would have to take it into my own hands. **

**So I did, and that's how I came to Philadelphia." **

"**I'm glad you did." Jasper almost smiled as he closed his eyes tight.**

Jasper

Traveling across country isn't easy for anyone. I am uncomfortable and cramped, there is no leg room, I'm hungry, and this bus smells funny. There are still about thirty hours to go to Seattle.

The view out the window has changed from skyscrapers and neon to flat stretches of cornfields. They remind me of Texas, the little farms that dot the country side. Not that I saw much of farms when I was in Texas, but still. They also reminded me in a weird way of the rice fields in Vietnam. The though of it all makes me shudder.

I look to Alice, I don't know what I'd do if she wasn't here. If it was me and the people on this bus, I don't know if I would be able to keep it together.

There is a baby in the front of the bus that cries every few hours, its young mother does her best to comfort it when it does. But the poor thing doesn't like being on the bus. I understand its discomfort, neither do I.

The mother's frustration at not being able to calm the child makes me feel frustrated for her and for all the people on the bus who were trying to sleep.

Despite the noise Alice is sleeping. She tried hard to stay up and keep me company but after a two days on the road she was now fast asleep, passed out with her head on my shoulder.

She breaths lightly and mutters every once in a while. Unlike the big fella a few rows up who is snoring like a buzz saw.

I grasp her hand and inhale sharply.

I want to stretch, but there is no room. I want to stand, but it's not allowed. I want to get off this bus and run, but the pain would be unbearable. All of it makes me want to scream.

I try to adjust in the seat, hoping that maybe if I move just a bit I'll be more comfortable. The opposite is the result, and I gasp.

I twist my head in discomfort and see in the darkness that the traveling sales man seated across the aisle from us is looking at me and I am startled, probably just like he is at being caught in the act of snooping. I sit back and try to not feel uncomfortable at knowing I'm being watched.

Be watched like a ticking time bomb, being watched like a freak show curiosity, being watched like a usual suspect.

I want off this bus.

I try again to sleep.

TBC...

I just moved 12 hours from home for grad school and after a week finally got internet. Hope I have time to write once Classes start. Thank you for reading.


	8. The Meeting

**Alice**

**We've been off the bus a few hours and I swear it feels like we're still moving. It's weird imagening that were on the other side of the country from where we started but we've made it. **

**I was worried for a time. Traveling across country isn't easy for anyone, but we did it. **

**He holds his sides and looks worse than I've ever seen him. **

**"Are you ready?" I ask. He nods curtly. I hope I'm right about this.**

**We entered the Doctor Cullen's patient's waiting room. It was nearly full with people. The Woman behind the front desk was busy talking with an older woman. I nurse came into the room and called a patient back.**

**He looked just the way I remembered him, tall, handsome, and blond I saw with a glance as the door that separated the waiting room from the rest of the doctor's office opened briefly and then closed. **

**I squeezed Jasper's hand to reassure him and then let myself into the back, ignoring the receptionists call to stop. **

**He spoke with a nurse over a patient's chart I had little time for formalities. "Dr. Cullen I was wondering if you had a moment to see my friend." The Doctor looked up from his chart, regarded me, and started to say something, when the receptionist took my arm. **

"**You can't be back here." She said sternly to me and then changed her tone. "I'm sorry doctor she snuck passed me."**

**He smiled kindly and nodded. "I'm very busy young lady you'll have to make an appointment with the receptionist."**

**"Please, Dr. Cullen." I hated to beg. "We don't mean to bother you it's just that we've come a long way to see you." **

Dr. Carlisle Cullen

The girl's small voice was so forlorn, asking for a little of my time, how could I refuse. She and the young man who stands behind her both look too thin, tired, and hungry for their young years.

The dark haired pixie with the small voice stands almost defensively in front of the tall gaunt young man with wild curly blond hair who does not look at all well. My interest and my sympathies are peaked.

My receptionist Linda looks frazzled, I think she should really take a vacation.

"You'll have to wait, I have appointments to keep." I explain to the two gate crashers.

I send Linda back to her desk and direct my two newest patients back to the waiting room. I notice right away the deep limp the young man walks with and the scars that lace his right cheek and neck.

"Please have a seat I'll be with you as soon as I can." I speak reassuringly to the young pair and I am startle again looking at them just how young they are. They can not be any older than my children who are in high school.

I go and speak softly to Linda, instructing her to keep an eye on the two children and I ask her to put the fruit basket I'd been sent yesterday out in the waiting room for the patients. I know she knows it's for two particularly.

I keep my appointments and probably appear to those patients a bit distracted and short. I can't help it my mind just keeps drifting back the two children. I want to know their story and why they have traveled here. Surely if the boy was hurt there were plenty of doctors he could have gone to without, as the girl said coming the "long" way to see me. How long was long anyway?

Finally it was late in the afternoon I'd kept them waiting nearly four hours, still as I peer out into the waiting room they are sitting there. The boy has a pained expression on his face and he holds the girl's hand tight in his. She, I can tell has her pockets stuffed with apples and bananas from the fruit basket. I wonder when was the last time these two had a hot meal.

I make a quick call to my wife to let her know I will be later then I thought getting home this evening as an emergency has come up. I agree to fill her in later on all that I can and then tell her I'll see her soon. I love her, she is both understanding and supportive.

I invite them back to an exam room and tell the nurses they can go for the night.

In the exam room the young man looks very uncomfortable and the young lady looked anything but.

"What can I help you with?" I ask as I take a seat across from them. This is an odd situation. I don't have any papers or even their names. I am under no illusions I know that these two are off the street and that usually means drugs or disease.

"Well Dr. Cullen," The young lady explains. "My friend Jas…" she starts but is interrupted when the young man coughs, she looks at him concerned and she starts over "my friend Jack was hurt a few months ago. He was in the hospital back in Philadelphia they discharged him and ever since he's been getting worse. I knew that if anyone could help you could. He needs to get better." She finishes her story looking lovingly at the young man, Jack.

"Alright." I nod, ignoring for the moment the questions that were cropping up in my head about where this young lady knew me from. I stood up and opened the door. "Miss…"

"It's Alice." She smiled sweetly.

"Alice, if you'll wait outside for a minute I'd like to talk to Jack alone." Panic that crosses both their faces at the prospect of being separated is my reassurance that she won't run off once I close the door. I am fairly certain she won't steal anything either.

"It'll just take a second I promise." She speaks encouragements to him softly and then does as I instructed.

I close the door and turn back to the patient. Jack was trying to look confident but he isn't succeeding, I can clearly see he was nervous.

"So Jack what happened." I ask in my kind doctor voice trying to put him at ease. His tension is becoming my tension.

"I was at the VA hospital in Philadelphia sir." His slight southern draw and politeness shock me nearly as much as what he is telling me as he pulls papers from the inside pocket of his weather worn coat.

I can't believe what I am seeing as I read the papers he handed to me. 'Sergeant Jack Whitlock Honorably Discharged.' The other papers say he served one and a half tours of duty, and was wounded in service to his country. Also he is nineteen years old. He didn't look nineteen. He does now that I know what I am looking at look like a soldier.

I hand the papers back but I don't know what to say so I ask again. "What happened son?"

"The base was being attacked, things were exploding. I was hit by shrapnel, bad in my leg and my side. There were a lot of soldiers going down. When I woke up the doctors had stitched me up and I was on my way state side. I was in the VA for about a month and everything seemed to be getting better. When I got out my leg, my side everything keeps getting worse. I met Alice and she said we should come here." His pain is evident on his face as his story ends.

"Are you taking anything?" I ask open to any answer he might give.

"No sir, nothing legal or otherwise. I had morphine after I was wounded I didn't like what it did to my head." His works are very level, he doesn't look strung out.

I make a note on my pad. "And the pain, is it a dull ache or a stabbing?"

"It was a dull ache now if I move wrong pain shoots up my leg and my side and I can't breath." He winces in memory of the pain.

"Can I take a look?" He nods lifting up his shirt revealing the top of an angry scar that lay on his right hip. "Is your leg sore to the touch?"

"Yes sir it hurts to hit it on something or even have someone brush up against me on that side." I nod and jot another note.

"Well Jack I've got a couple ideas what might be going on. I'd like to have an x-ray done, I'd also like to call the VA hospital in Philadelphia and get your medical files. I'll get the paperwork ready." I get up and let Alice back in.

TBC...

Thank you for your Reviews. Im glad people are reading and enjoying.


	9. The Guests

**Esme**

My husband loves to help people. He became a doctor because he loves helping and we have raised three wonderful children because of his desire to help others. This drive of his is truly endearing but can also be a bit frustrating. Especially when he calls right before dinner and asks if he can bring two patients to stay at our house.

I can't say no. If he thinks it is important I could never say no. I want to help too.

I hang up the olive green wall phone in the kitchen and call upstairs to our adopted daughter, the only one of the children home tonight.

"Rosalie, can you come down here, I need some help." I hear a sigh and then the sound of stomping down the stairs as I put a pot of water on the stove to boil.

Oh, teenagers everything is an inconvenience for them.

"What's up?" Rosalie traipses into the kitchen looking slightly bored.

"Carlisle just called, he's bringing home a patient, a wounded soldier apparently and a young lady, they'll be staying with us tonight. I need you to gather some clothes, get some of the boys old sweats and some socks and underwear and a pair of pajamas, pants and a shirt of yours that you're willing to part with." I instruct.

"Why?" Rosalie raises her eyebrow quizzically at my request.

"Because I think our guests may need to borrow somethings. Oh and grab the spare toothbrushes from the bathroom. I'm going to start dinner. I hope they'll eat spaghetti with the boys out of the house tonight I hadn't planned on making a large meal." With another sigh Rosalie goes to look for the thing I asked for and I grab the canister of pasta.

"Aunt Esme, where are the spare toothbrushes?" Rosalie calls from upstairs.

"Under the sink I think, dear." I answer. Before I hear if she's found them I hear Carlisle at the door.

I put the pasta sauce on the stove on low heat, look around the kitchen to see if there is anything else I can do to be ready, then seeing nothing go to greet my husband and our guests.

Carlisle has the front door wide open as I come into the living room and Rosalie comes down the stairs with her arms full of clothes, towels, and toiletries.

When he'd asked me over the phone if he could bring them home he'd described his patient as a young soldier who'd been wounded and his patient's friend as a young presumably homeless woman. The image I had created in my head was not what walked through our front door.

He had not mentioned that they were children.

It nearly broke my heart to see. The waif of a young woman helping to support the very clearly pained young man as they made their way slowly across the threshold and over to the couch where Carlisle directed them.

They were thin, ragged, and tired looking.

The young man looked positively exhausted as he sunk down onto the couch and the cushion nearly swallowed him. Carlisle ever the attentive physician set about checking the young man over. The young woman held the young soldier's arm and crouched next to him.

My voice caught in my throat and I couldn't find a thing to say. I know I'm being rude.

The young lady must have felt me watching them because she turned around and looked at me. She then unexpectedly pops off the couch and smiles warmly at myself and Rosalie.

"I'm Alice." she offers her hand to me. I shake it. She was a pretty girl with dark hair and light eyes. "Thank you for letting us spend the night. I don't know where Jack and I would have stayed." She smiles again a truly innocent looking smile. "I was surprised how my colder it is here."

"Well you're welcome Alice. I hope that Dr. Cullen will be able to help Jack. I'm Mrs. Cullen and this is Rosalie." Rosalie smiles, her usual bored expression was gone from her face momentarily. My daughter is so beautiful when she smiles like that. It was clear she was intrigued by the two visitors.

Alice is about to say something more but is interrupted when the buzzer go off in the kitchen.

"Oh excuse me will you, I think the pasta is ready." I hurry to the stove hoping that the pot isn't boiling over. I hear Carlisle behind me saying he'll help with dinner. I grab the colander from the cabinet and he takes the pot from the burner.

"Thank you Esme." He say over the steaming pot as we strain the pasta. "I don't think they had any place to stay if we couldn't keep them. I called the Veteran's Home and they didn't have any room."

"Where are their families Carlisle? Why are they living on the street? They're so young." my thoughts turn to my own children. "That boy in there doesn't look old enough to be a soldier." I know my eyes are revealing my inner thoughts and Carlisle's expression softens.

"His paperwork says he's nineteen, not very old at all but old enough to go to war and get wounded for his country. It's alright I'm going to help him and get them back on the right track." I nod.

I know my husband and he will do everything in his power to help them. I can't help but think of my own boys fighting, it's a scary thought and it sends a chill down my spine.

"Esme?" Carlisle says my name and I realize I'm staring in the direction of the living room.

"I'm sorry. I'm happy to host them, I truly hope you can help them. Please, put the plates on the table, I'll get the glasses."

**Rosalie**

"These are for you to use." I drop my arm load into a nearby chair. "There are towels, toothbrushes, and some clothes for both of you." I picked out each object and neatly stacked them together on the chair.

I pause to admire the sweater I'd decided to donate, it was a light purple cable knit I had gotten for my birthday two years ago. It's pretty but hardly in style anymore, it had been in the back of my closet for a while; I won't miss it.

When I'd been told that I need to outfit a soldier I'd picked out Emmett's old sweats but now after seeing the young man it was clear that Emmett's clothes were going to absolutely engulf him.

"I think I'd better go and find some of Edward's things for hum... Jack was it?" I look down the sofa at him. I am surprised to see that he's quietly fallen asleep. Alice notices also and moves to him. She softly touches his arm. He doesn't wake up, but sighs heavily.

"He doesn't mean to be rude or anything, it's just been a long trip." She looks up at me apologetically.

"I understand." and I did. She bends down and starts undoing his boot laces. I see her look worriedly toward the kitchen.

"They'll understand too." I smile and try to reassure her. I know there's no way they'd be mad Jack fell asleep. Thinking quickly, as Alice slides off his beat up army boots, I go back to the closet in the guestroom and grab a pillow and blanket.

Alice is lifting Jacks legs carefully up onto the couch. I wait as she makes sure he is comfortable. He is still sound asleep and she brushes his hair off his face.

Standing close beside her with the pillow and blanket ready at hand I am able to see the thin light scars that lace the side of his face and neck. I suck in a breath reflectively. If Alice heard she doesn't say anything. She props his head with the pillow and drapes the blanket over him.

"Are you Dr. and Mrs. Cullen's daughter?" Alice asks me quietly as she tucks the blanket up over Jack's shoulders. I get the question a lot, I know my brothers do also. Carlisle and Esme just look very young to have three teenage children.

"I'm adopted, there are three of us the two boys Edward and Emmett are away on a school trip." I explained.

"That's really nice that they took all of you in." The way Alice said this made me think that no one had taken her in. I can only image what it would be like living on the streets, judging from the state of Alice's clothes and hair it wasn't an easy life.

"yes it has been, we were very lucking. Edward was first he was five at the time. His parents were missionaries. Carlisle was working overseas when he came across Edward's family. They were very sick being taken care of by the locals. His mother begged Carlisle to take Edward back to the states with him. I was adopted a couple years later when I was nine. Then Emmett when he was 11. His mother had remarried and his father wasn't in the picture when he was attacked by a dog. His mother had no money and his step father refused to pay the bills. Carlisle offered to take him in, Emmett's mother signed guardianship over to Carlisle and Esme." I told most of our story. There were just some stories that didn't need to be shared.

"Dinner is on the table." Carlisle comes out to tell us.

Alice didn't move. She says in a quiet small voice "Jack's fallen asleep Dr. Cullen." she is noticably a bit upset. Carlisle comes around the couch to have look Jack.

Carlisle doesn't appear to be worried. "It's alright Alice, we'll get him something to eat when he wakes up." Carlisle smiles and Alice seems reassured.

I lead Alice to the dining room and Carlisle turns down the living room light.

**Alice**

I follow Rose into the dining room. It is amazing, I feel like I'm in a fairy tale. The large dining room table has places set for the Cullens and me and Jasper, with white china plates, fancy silverware and cloth napkins. Dr. Cullen pulls out and offers a chair to me.

"Thank you. You have a lovely home." I sit.

"Thank you Alice, my wife is a decorator she takes great pride in our home." Dr. Cullen fills my glass with water.

"Guests first dear, would you like some garlic bread or salad?" Mrs. Cullen offered the bread basket to me,then the salad, then the spaghetti and sauce with meatballs. I fill my plate it all looks and smells so good. I pass the food on when I'm done taking my share. I am a bit reluctant, I don't know when Jasper and I will eat like this again. I wish he'd wake up so he could have some.

My head turned back to the living room without my realizing what I was doing. "Alice, there's plenty take what you like and we'll make sure Jack gets some when he wakes up." My thoughts drift to the apples in my pockets and I feel a bit guilty eating without Jasper.

The Cullens are all looking kindly at me, it makes me feel warm they really are very nice people.

"Thank you. I just know Jas..." whoops "Jack would love this." I smile back at them and munch happily on some garlic bread and unskillfully try to twirl pasta with my fork.

Everyone eats contently and Jasper doesn't stir.

I finish my plate of pasta. Dinner was hot and wonderful. "Are you finished Alice?" Mrs. Cullen asks.

"Yes." I admit though I would like to take more I am full, Mrs. Cullen takes my plate away. I feel sad to see it go but I have a couple pieces of bread in my pocket that I snuck from the basket. I'm going to need bigger pockets.

Rosalie helps her mother clear the table and stopped to ask me curiously. "You said earlier that you were surprised how cold it was here, where exactly did you and Jack come from?"

"We took the bus here from Philadelphia." I wanted to help clear the table but I was nervous that I might break some of their fine things.

"Really all the way from Philadelphia? That's a long and expensive trip to make." Esme seemed rather surprised by the idea.

"Yes it was, but I knew that Dr. Cullen is very good and should be the doctor to help Jack." I explained hoping that would make the decision clear, but at the head of the table Dr. Cullen wore a very confused look.

"But how did you even know of me Alice, if you were in Philadelphia and I was here in Seattle?" the doctor seemed very cuious and I admit it's a logical question I just hope that they would except the answer.

"Well, I saw you years ago in Mississippi. You gave a talk and I thought it was really good. I knew you must be an excellent doctor to make speeches to other doctors. So I thought I better remembered your name. Well, then I met Jack he needed help and I just had a feeling that we should find you." I smiled at him, his expression still seemed puzzled at first but a slow smile broke and he nodded and changed the subject.

"So Jack needs to go and get an xray in the morning. Esme what does your schedule look like?" Dr. Cullen asks his wife.

She pursed her lips in thought as she sat back down at the table. "Hum, I have a meeting with a client at ten I should be done by eleven thirty."

"Well I could drop Jack and Alice off in the morning and you could pick them up for me and bring them to the office. You may just have to wait a bit for the appointment and to be picked up." I nodded at him, I don't have a problem with waiting, anything we had you know we'd do.

"I could help." All eye's turn to Rosalie.

"Rose I appreciate the thought but you have to go to school tomorrow." Carlisle said kindly.

"But Uncle Carlisle I can help drive them, anyway school isn't going to be any fun without Emmett and Edward there."

"School isn't suppose to be fun Rose." Carlisle pointed out. "You can be a help at the moment by showing Alice upstairs. Alice you can get cleaned up and stay in Edward's room tonight."

**TBC...**

Happy Holidays. **Thanks you for reading. **There is more to come.**  
**


	10. The interesting Morning

**Jasper**

I am warm and comfortable. Warmer and more comfortable than I can remember being for a very long time. I don't want to wake up and ruin this; so I don't open my eyes.

I do sense someone is with me but they seem so far away. I want to stay in the comfortable darkness . If I don't move them maybe they will go. I hear them now faintly. A pleasant voice whispers "Jack".

Is Jack here? I hope he's having as nice a sleep as I was.

Wait. That's not right. Jack can't be here.

Here... the trip, the doctor, his house, ALICE. Everything comes rushing back to me like a tidal wave.

I sit up with a start ignoring the pain signals my body is sending my brain. I open my eyes and franticly blink back the haze.

She is sitting next to me, her warm hand is on my shoulder.

"Are you alright?" I ask as my eyes focus. What have I done? I can't believe I fell asleep and left her alone with strangers.

I scan the room quickly checking each corner and doorway, we're alone. Then I study Alice, I check her head to foot.

"Yes, I'm perfectly find. Do you like my new sweater?" She sits back and displays the pretty pullover proudly. She looks lovely in it.

She looks and smells lovely. Has she had time to shower and change? I bite my lip and furrow my brow. "I'm sorry."

Her face drops. "You don't like it?"

"No, I'm mean,... yes I like it. I'm sorry I fell asleep and left you alone." I don't hear anyone moving around down stairs, I suppose I slept through dinner.

"It's alright, I wasn't lonely, I talked to Rose and Mrs. and Dr. Cullen, they were all very kind and good at conversation. I slept in Edward's room last night. It is a big room with big windows you should see it." She stops talking and looks at me funny. I realize my face is twisted with concern and frustration.

She smiles sheepishly. "You don't have to worry Jazz, Edward wasn't home. We thought about moving you to Emmett's bed but you were sound asleep and we didn't want to disturb you."

" Edward and Emmett? Alice, how long was I asleep?" I ask already knowing the answer but not wanting to believe it.

"You slept through the night." The words came out of her mouth in a causal enough way but they nearly knock me over.

"The whole night?" I rub at my eyes and trying to understand what she's said. "Why didn't you wake me up?" She had been alone, and I had been weak.

"You were so tired, you need to sleep." she says and squeezes my hand. "anyway, it's time to get up. You need to take a shower, it's so nice."

**Alice**

I hated having to wake him up this morning but I had to, Dr. Cullen needs Jasper to get an xray this morning so I had to wake him and get him moving. I felt bad of course and startling him wasn't my intention, I tried my hardest not to. That's not usually a good start to the day for him.

He had seemed to be sleeping so soundly, it was like nothing was bothering him.

I had listened for him last night, I thought he might call out in his sleep or have a nightmare so I sat up a good part of the night and listen for him. He slept the whole night, as far as I know.

He was so shocked about that too and mad at himself for leaving me. I don't want him to feel that way. I wasn't in any danger, I was with the Cullens and I trust them. I know he doesn't trust them yet, but I know he will. I also know that he's going to do what it takes to get better because if nothing else it's what I want for him.

I sit out side the bathroom waiting for him. I hear him start the shower and my nose scrunches as I know the whole process of getting undressed and getting in the tub and so on is painful and unpleasant for him. I hate to hear him sigh and groan, especially when I can't do anything to help.

The one thing I can do, I am doing; he made me promise to not go far, so I won't. I don't want to worry him further.

He'll calm down eventually, I do understand his reservations. I hope he knows if I was in trouble he would be the first person I went to.

**Jasper**

I protested when Alice said it was time for me to bathe. I didn't want to leave her again. I know I can't be with her every minuet of the day but I hate having her out of my sight especially in a strange place, especially after I let my weakness get the better of me.

I relented because I know I need a shower, I don't want to offend anyone. Certainly not Alice, she's who I care about, she's my hope. She says I stink.

The water pounds against my skin, it stings but I don't plan on changing the temperature.

It has been forever since I've been in a good hot shower like this one. I was never one for taking long showers but I do remember feeling like they were a place to escape for awhile.

There have been so many things to escape.

I let the water run over my head and soak through my hair that's hanging long these days.

I shut my eyes and sigh into the steam. Images start flashing through my mind of the storms I saw in Vietnam, where the rain fell in sheets and waves and buckets. I shake off these memories and think of a more pleasant rain.

That rainy night in Philadelphia.

This makes my thoughts return to Alice. damn it, I've lost track of time, again. I never meant to be in here long.

I shut off the water and the now cold air on my wet skin making me shiver. I move tentatively out of the shower and dry off. I rub the towel roughly, quickly over most of me. Rubbing my face, and chest, and arms as if I could rub the thin white scars off. I take more gentle care of my hip, and leg and other sensitive areas.

I catch my reflection in the bathroom mirror. I've seen the way I look now, pale, tired, pain etched into my features. It doesn't shock me, but for some reason now I think of my mother. What would she think of all that's happened? What would she say?

She and Jack probably would have loved Alice.

"Are you doing alright Jack? Rosalie asked me to ask if the clothes fit alright." Alice's voice comes from the other side of the door.

I look down my nose at the sweats that have been left for me. At least they're clean and comfortable even if they are incredibly dorky.

**Carlisle**

It is interesting; usually in the mornings everyone is rushing around with the kids getting ready for school and me and Esme getting ready for work but today it's like everything has slowed down. I think perhaps it's because we're all interested in our guests.

Rose sits at the counter in the kitchen nursing a bowl of cereal waiting for both our quests to arrive. Esme is busying herself making Rose a sandwich for lunch like she hasn't done since the children where in junior high.

I chuckle a bit to myself as I pour myself another cup of coffee, one more than I usually drink or need.

Alice leads Jack into the kitchen. His hair is damp and he is wearing an old dark blue set of sweats that were Edward's and some old sneakers of mine. The expression on his face reminds me of a cat that's just come in out of the rain and isn't pleased with being wet.

My medical eye watches his limping gait closely as he walks in. He isn't put his full weight down on right leg. Even the little weight he does put on it obviously causes him pain. but he isn't leaning on Alice this morning. He's making an effort to stand up straight and look alert.

Alice holds his hand sweetly as she leads him into the kitchen and over to the counter. Alice smiles warmly and introduces

"Good morning Jack." I greet him, he nods in response "Good morning Dr. Cullen, Mrs. Cullen, and Rose." Alice glows with pride as Jack politely and very southernly greets each of us. I imagine even Rose is a bit enamored with his gentlemanly show.

He seems tired still and his voice sounds thin and tense to my ears. Exhaustion is funny, He slept through the night but the first good sleep is not a recuperative sleep. He definitely needs lots of rest and some good food.

Alice tells him to come and sit next to her at the counter.

All politeness aside he seems a bit cautious of everyone.

Esme sits a bowl and spoon in front of him and Alice "We have Cheerios and Count Chocula, would you like a glass of orange juice or milk?"

Alice accepts the cereal and poured for both of them. Jack was not paying much attention to the food. His Focus was elsewhere, his eyes darted around the room methodically, studying, it was subtle had I not already been watching him I may have missed it.

What is he looking for? Exits, potential threats, is he simple looking at his new surroundings? He tenses like he realizes something and turns his head slightly to look back over his soldier to the living room he and Alice entered through, His whole body seems to tighten. He is noticeably uncomfortable.

I don't think he likes sitting with his back to the door.

I have read articles about the paranoia and fear that persists after soldiers have returned from war, I wonder if the young Sergeant is experiencing this.

Of course Post Traumatic Stress isn't the only thing that could make a person paranoid, living on the streets I know can make a person extremely cautious.

I must have been staring during my musing because the next thing I know he's looking intently at me. That was foolish of me, he's not a case study to be examined. I clear my throat a bit embarrassed "You should eat something, Jack." He hasn't yet touched the cereal Alice has set for him. "Would you like some toast or maybe an English muffin? We need to head out in about fifteen minutes."

I follow Esme and Rose out to the garage to say goodbye. "So you'll be able to pick them up and drop them off at my office, Dear?" I check with Esme.

"I don't know how long my client meeting will go, but I don't think it will go much past noon, I'll pick them up and get them some lunch and drop them off to you, it shouldn't be a problem." She kisses me and starts the car.

"Are you sure I couldn't help out, keep them company or something?" Rose stands with her book bag and bag lunch.

"Not today, go to school." She looks exasperated. "Emmett and Edward will be back tomorrow, you'll make it through one more day." She signs and puts her things in the back of the car.

"See you later." I wave as they drive away. Now to get my patient where he needs to go.

**Jasper**

I don't like places like these, I didn't like the VA hospital and this place even though it's an xray lab and not a hospital it's cold and many people here are nervous or in pain.

Dr. Cullen came in with us and signed me in and explained to the nurses that I was his patient and Alice and I would be staying here to wait for the appointment and then waiting for Mrs. Cullen to pick us up.

The nurses here seemed to enjoy seeing Dr. Cullen a great deal. They don't give me and Alice a second look, they are too busy to be very concerned about us.

Alice flips through the magazines while we sit in the waiting room, I think she's nearly looked through them all now. Quite a few people have gone back to be xrayed and come out and left. it should be my turn soon.

I don't know how to feel about all this I'm feeling mixed up. I don't know what the xray will find and if Dr. Cullen will be able to do anything to fix it. I'm really appreciative of course of everything Dr. Cullen has done and is trying to do, but I don't want to ask too much and I don't want to accept what I can't repay.

And in the back of my mind I'm worried that this could lead...

"Jack" A nurse calls my name, it's time.

TBC...

I hate to tease and I know I have been with a chapter here and a chapter there, I am still working on this story. I have it planned out just not written down. Thank you for your support and continued readership. If it wasn't for the reviews that I kept getting asking 'what happens next?' I don't know if I would have had the motivation to keep going. Of course I try to write stories that I want to read and I want to read this one, so hold tight, I'm still working on it.


	11. Noonish

**Rosalie**

I've never been a good science student but today I find it extra hard to concentrate.

Emmett and Edward have been out of town with the baseball team a whole week now. Emmett is my best friend, Emmett makes sitting in science class not so boring. Emmett will joke around with anyone even the teacher. Which really makes class go by much faster.

Edward, well, he's like my brother, an annoying younger brother but I guess I miss him too.

They sure missed a lot last night, it isn't everyday that Carlisle brings home a patient. At least not since he brought home Emmett six years ago.

I miss Emmett, I wonder if he's missed me? He better have.

School is lonely without him.

People don't talk to me much, or I don't talk to them much, or both. We, my bothers and I sort of have a stigma around school. We're the weird Cullen kids.

I understand, I know we're not your normal family there are three adopted kids all about the same age in my family. We're just different. I've heard the whispers of other students and I know the teachers have meetings among themselves about how to deal with the Cullens.

"Can anyone tell me where a mitochondrion is located?" the teacher asks and no one answers. "Rose, you've been quiet today can you tell us?" uuugg the worst thing ever, being called on when you've been zoning out.

"Paris?" I through out knowing it's totally utterly wrong, I'll play the dumb blond if it will make him leave me alone.

"No sorry Rosalie that's not it, come on pay attention folks, we're talking cells here not cities." I roll my eyes.

We aren't bad kids, just maybe a little moody, somewhat defiant and too smart for our own good occasionally.

Anyway this day can not be over soon enough; at least next period is lunch.

**Esme**

It's not my favorite restaurant but I know my kids enjoy it, so after picking up Jack and Alice from the xray I take them to J.R.'s Diner. It's a burger and fries kind of place. We sit in a little booth near the counter next to a large window. It's noonish so the place is bustling and a bit noisy.

Alice is a funny little girl; she certainly seems happy and she's excited by even small things. She's reading through the menu as a woman with a little dog walks by the window. "Oh look Jazz isn't it the cutest little dog? I'd like to have a little dog like that some day."

I don't think I've heard Jack say more than a few words yet, he's very quiet. He sits next to Alice across from me and flips timidly through the menu.

"You can order what ever you like." I assure them, I haven't had to feed Emmett and Edward for a week, I feel like my wallet is stuffed with lunch money.

"OH oh, I think I'd like a grill cheese sandwich." Alice perks up. "and fries that would be so good."

"That does sound good." I agree but I think I'd prefer a salad and some ice tea.

"What would you like Jack?" He doesn't look like he's seen anything that's caught his eye. I think the xray this morning took a lot out of him, he doesn't look much better than he did when he walked through my front door last night, still tired, pale, and pained.

"I…" I think he starts to say that he won't have anything but I see Alice gives him a look. He amends his order. "I think I'll have what Alice is having if that's alright Ma'am."

"That is, if that's what you'll eat." I smile reassuringly, such a polite young man. I would think a mother somewhere should be proud of him.

"eeeee." I hear an excited little squeal coming from behind Alice's big menu, and I chuckle. "Oh Mrs. Cullen, can we get milkshakes please?"

Oh, my heart melts. Why not? A treat never hurt anyone. "Yes I think that sounds really good I think I'll get one too." Alice grins from ear to ear, you'd think I'd just given her a pony and low and behold I think I just saw the corner of Jack's mouth turn up. I can't help but smile too.

"Are you read to order?" The waitress comes with her notepad and pencil.

"Yes we are, go ahead Alice." Alice folds her menu.

"Jack and I would each like a grilled cheese with fries and I would like to have a strawberry milkshake. Oh, what kind would you like Jack?"

"Chocolate, please." There's a faint smile again. Alice hands her menu to Jack who hands both to the waitress, who turns to me.

"I'd like a garden salad with thousand island dressing and a vanilla milkshake, thank you."

**Alice**

The milkshakes came out first; they were big and in tall frosty glasses. The rushed waitress set them down in front of Jasper and left with out another look. Jasper sat forward with a grimace and slid Mrs. Cullen's milkshake to her.

He looks at the two of ours and hesitates so I reach over and grab the pink one. He looks at me sheepishly and then takes his chocolate one.

It is delicious, so good and so sweet, I can't tell you. Then the grill cheese comes, I think they might be my favorite food. It's all buttery and toasty and cheesy and melty. I can't help but hum a little as I eat, I know Jasper thinks I'm silly. He's eating some and looks content, which I'm very pleased about.

We munch and I pour ketchup on my plate and offer the bottle to Jasper, he doesn't get much out of the bottle it's emptier than I thought it was, so I offer my plate and we share.

"Are you going to eat your pickle?" I ask curious.

"You can have it." He turns his plate so I can reach it. I finish the last of my milkshake and the waitress brings the check over.

Jasper and I wait patiently and perhaps a little anxiously as Mrs. Cullen looks over the bill. She shuffles some things in her purse and then looks up with a smile as she puts the tip down on the table. I let out a breath I didn't realize I was holding.

"Come on lets get going." Mrs. Cullen gets up to pay the bill, she waits attentively as Jasper and I get out of the booth and then we head to the register to pay.

I walk with Jasper at his pace, when we get up to the check out Mrs. Cullen is pulling out her wallet. As she does a loose five dollar bill falls to the ground.

This is something I've seen quite often in my years on the street, people drop money and I pick it up. It's been how I've survived.

I pick it up and tap Mrs. Cullen on the shoulder, "You dropped this." I hand the bill back to her.

"oh my, thank you Alice, that was clumsy of me." I smile and Jasper squeezes my hand. "Alright you two let get you where you need to be."

I think we are definitely where we need to be.

**Carlisle**

Paperwork just never ends. There is always a lot of signing of this and correcting of that to do. So I almost always wind up doing paper work while I eat my lunch at my desk. That is what I'm doing today, having a sandwich and signing papers. There is a knock at my door that interrupts me mid bite.

"Dr. Cullen here are the xrays you ordered." The nurse enters and hands me the envelop.

"aahh thank you Stephanie just what I've been waiting for." I put down my sandwich and take the xrays out and over to the light box and hang them, so I can see what is going on inside Jack Whitlock.

"Oh my." Stephanie exclaims.

"Oh my, indeed." this is not good.

TBC...

I have no clue how long xrays took to develop in the 1970s, so in my story I just decided they were fast. Lets get this story moving! I was reading through the comments today and really noticed that some reviewers have been with this story from the beginning, thank you so much. I hope you like it. It's getting more difficult to write because of all the different characters and trying to get all of them written in first person. But I have always loved fan fics that exam how different characters feel and how they view each other, that's why I chose to write this in first person.


	12. Admitting

**Carlisle**

The phone is ringing on the other end as I hold the receiver to my ear. "Veteran's Hospital Nurse Johnson speaking how can I assist you?" The woman's voice was gruff.

"Nurse Johnson, this is Dr. Carlisle Cullen with Forks Hospital in Washington state I have a soldier in my care named Jack Whitlock. I believe he was at your facility and I would like to speak with his physician and have his records sent to me."

"Yes, Dr. Cullen Jack Whitlock was a patient here a few months ago. I will have his records prepared today to sent to you today. I can transfer you to Dr. Kline now. And Doctor…" Her voice softens slightly. "Tell Sergeant Whitlock we've missed our Tex."

I was a bit thrown off guard by her kind statement and familiarity with my patient. "Alright nurse…I'll, hum, do that. Thank you."

"Transferring." The line is quiet for a few moments and then starts to ring again.

"Dr. Cullen, this is Dr. Kline what can I do for you today?" There is a slightly patronizing tone in his voice that irritates me to no end.

"Doctor Kline I recently took into my care one of your patients, a Sergeant Jack Whitlock."

"Whitlock hum doesn't ring a bell, I don't know what I can tell you Cullen, we get a lot of boys through here, lots of them in real bad shape." I want to believe this man is genuine but something in his tone makes me think his heart isn't in the right place and that makes me mad.

"I know you see lots of boys Dr. Kline, I know it is difficult to get to know each one of them. But is that any excuse for leaving pieces of shrapnel in a young man's leg?" The words that come out of my mouth shock me.

"That boy was fine when he left here. What are you saying Cullen?" Kline growled at me.

"I'm saying I've seen the xrays and the scars and it looks like someone stitched him up in the field and flew him to you. You couldn't be bothered to check a young man who seemed to be doing fine, you were too busy. At least he had both his legs, am I right? You just pumped him full of drugs and sent him on his way.

What if a piece of shrapnel entered his blood stream and reached his heart. What if a big piece nicked bone or even worse an artery? But you didn't think, you just wanted another bed. Another tally for your record, one more saved by Dr. Kline on an endless conveyor belt of wounded."

"Are you finished?" Kline seethed.

"I've said my peace. Please transfer me to whoever is in charge of veteran affairs."

**Jasper**

I had a feeling it was coming but still when I heard the word 'hospital' everything inside me froze. Now Dr. Cullen is speaking to me, explaining why I have to go to the hospital but I can't make out the words he's saying.

I look to Alice who is seated next to me. She looks concerned and worried and it's my fault.

Behind her on the wall I can see my xrays. They are like looking at a stranger. A stranger who knows more about u and than you know about yourself.

There's shrapnel still inside me, jagged pieces of metal that have been in me since the base was attacked and no one knew. No one cared…

"Jack did you hear me?" Dr. Cullen's voice finds its way in past my thoughts. I shake my head.

"I'm sorry, what did you say sir?" I feel like the exam room is getting smaller, I hate places with no windows. It's getting hard to breath.

"It's alright." He assured me. "I was explaining that I think what happen was, They didn't check you like they should have when you were at the VA and you were on medication and didn't notice the pain. When they released you and the medication wore off you noticed the pain, and I sure it got worse as the days went on.

Every move you make aggravates the large piece of shrapnel in your hip. You can see it on the xray it's the triangular piece here…" Dr. Cullen pointed out the spot on the xray, "it appears to be hitting the bone probably causing the sharp pain you described, together with the big piece and a few smaller pieces in your thigh they cause the ache that you feel continuously. Of course once we get you admitted to the hospital we will take some more xrays to see if there is anymore."

He looks at me expectantly but I don't know what to say. My leg and hip are throbbing just looking at the pictures. "When?" Is the only question that comes to mind.

"I'm going to take you over to the hospital now and have you admitted tonight. I talked with Veterans Affairs and they have agreed with me that all medical bills should be handled by the government. I have some friends in high places so we should be able to get the paperwork pushed pretty quickly. I'm expecting your medical records to be here tomorrow from Philadelphia. I'm going to get you into surgery as soon as I can."

I am relieved, maybe this pain will finally end. I am anxious, I don't like the idea of surgery and hospitals so many people go in and don't come out.

Mom didn't, Dad didn't. Jack…

I shake my head. "Jack does that all sound alright to you?" Dr. Cullen looks at me with a kind doctor look that reminds me of another doctor I knew once.

"Yes," I nod tight lipped.

Alice nods too. "Thank you Dr. Cullen, thank you for everything."

**Alice**

Dr. Cullen leaves the exam room and I scooch my chair closer to Jasper's. "See it's all going to be ok." I whisper and then kiss his cheek lightly. He leans into me and rests his forehead on mine.

"What would I do with out you?" He draws in a low soft voice.

"That's a good question." I steal another kiss and brush his blond hair out of his face as Dr. Cullen returns with a wheelchair. 'Oh Jasper is going to love this' I think, sarcastically. I can already see the disgust in his eyes.

Dr. Cullen picks up on his feelings too. "I know lots of people don't like the idea, but it's not that bad and besides it's just a short trip to the car and then into the hospital." Dr. Cullen parks the chair and puts the foot rests up.

I smile encouragingly and help Jasper up. He is tight lipped as he moves, I wonder if he can feel the jagged edges of the shrapnel sticking and moving inside him. Ooohhh I don't like that idea, I don't want to think about that.

He sits down and the Doctor gets him situated.

It's funny, I think, seeing Jazz without his army coat. I think he must have worn it everyday since I've known him. Mrs. Cullen promised that she would wash our things, the coat included, so he doesn't have it now. It always made him look like a soldier to me, always gave him an air of military preparedness.

Now in this blue sweat suit, which he keeps pulling at the neck, he looks uncomfortable and very vulnerable.

The car ride is ride is very quiet. Dr. Cullen drive us from his office to the Hospital where he also works. The town we drive through is quaint and people wave to the doctor as he passes them.

Jasper and I sit in the back. I hold his hand, he grips mine tight. I know that hospitals upset him. He told me that's why he didn't go back to the VA to get help. Well from everything that Dr. Cullen has said the VA had some bad doctors, so I'm confident that here with Dr. Cullen Jasper will have a different experience and things will be ok.

I just wish I knew that for certain.

Inside the hospital Dr. Cullen fills out a few papers and has Jasper put his signature on a few.

"Jack this is Nurse Line she will be taking you back to your room. Alice you can go back with him. I'm going to arrange for a cot to be brought in." Dr. Cullen signs his name to something else another nurse put in front of him. Nurse Line puts a hospital bracelet on Jasper's wrist.

"Alright, you're all set to go. I have some other patients to see, I'll try and stop by to check on you both later." Doctor Cullen smiles at me and pats Jasper on the shoulder.

Nurse Line in her white uniform pushes the wheelchair down the long cold hall.

Jasper's nervousness is written on his face, I know how he feels. This is starting to get intense.

**Jasper**

They want me to put on a gown. Could this get any worse?

"And Dr. Cullen gave orders that you should not be on your feet unnecessarily so we'll set you up with a bed pan."

Right, just as expected, much worse.

"Alright, you go ahead and get undressed and get in bed and I'll be back in a few minutes." The nurse explains and then she leaves. Thank goodness she left.

I sit on the side of the bed and sigh heavily. I look to Alice. She still looks lovely in lavender. Her dark hair frames her soft porcelain features. "I'll help you." She offers.

"Alright." Let's get this over with. She sits on the floor cross legged and starts untying my shoelaces. I tug at the sweat shirt and pull it off over my head. She slides my borrowed sneakers off and sets them aside.

Alice gracefully gets up from the floor, you'd think she was a ballet dancer.

She touches my bare shoulder with her pretty little hand and I don't flinch away not even when her finger traces down the thin white scars that crisscross my arm. I like her touch better than any I've ever felt.

She points then to the angry looking scar on the top of my hip.

"Is that where it is? The big triangular piece on the xray?" her fingers intertwine with mine.

"I think so, yes." I look down at the scar, it's hard to imagine even myself.

"Where did it come from, do you think?" She asks curiously.

"Well there was lots of stuff exploding." I hadn't thought about that too much, and I don't remember much about being hit. "It could be part of a shell or part of a truck. I think lots of these little scars came from glass that exploded so maybe it was a truck or something else made of glass and metal." a window, a building, a motorcycle, a helmeted motorcycle rider holding a glass of ice tea.

"It's weird to think you might have part of a truck inside you." I agree it does seem strange. She hands me the gown which I snarl at.

"It's green, I think it brings out the color in your eyes." She comments as she helps me put it on and ties the ties in the back.

I ask her politely to turn away as I slip out of my pants and underwear.

This isn't fun maneuvering and bending, maybe I should have asked for help. But no, I got into them; I can get out of them. I've been to hell and back no fruit of the looms are going to best me. Groan, wince, uuuuggg, sign.

I drop the pants on the floor, get into bed, and pull the blanket up. "ok."

"Your cute." She turns around and wrinkles her nose at me. Then she moves across the room and opens the curtains on the window.

It's nice that the room has a window, it doesn't feel as claustrophobic that way. It is a small room, but I have it all to my self. Which is different from where I was at the VA.

There, I was on an open floor with thirty other guys. There were sometimes curtains separating us, other times they opened all the curtains up and you could see all the others. Guys moaned all hours of the day, cried for their mothers or their wives or girlfriends.

You could hear everyone else's nightmares and when someone died on the floor everyone knew it. You felt it.

I feel Alice brush at my hair. "Hey, you alright?"

I swallow, my mouth feels dry. "Yeah fine." I lie, just a little.

"Your hair is getting really shaggy. Maybe they'll lend me a pair of scissors and I could cut it." She snips at me with pretend finger scissors.

"Well I'm in the right place if you take my ear off." I say straight faced. She smiles and sticks her tongue out at me.

She's the one who's cute.

**Alice**

I really do wonder if I could get his hair cut. I bet it would make him feel good, it's always nice to get a hair cut.

There is a knock at the door and Nurse Line enters a second later. She's pulling a cart with her. "got all undressed I see. That's good."

She pulls her cart up next to the bed. I stand on the other side, I see Jasper get tense, so I put my hand on his shoulder in an attempt to help.

"I'm going to put your IV in." She doesn't hesitate or ask she just takes Jasper's arm and starts to look for a vein. He doesn't struggle or pull away from her. He's being very patient, like a good soldier, but I know he isn't happy about her touching him.

She finds the vein quickly and thankfully gets the needle in in one go. She good, I don't know if I could take it if she had to stick him again.

She skillfully tapes the IV needle down and starts to hang the IV fluids.

"What's the IV for?" Jasper asks, his voice sounds a bit horse.

"this is just something for dehydration. We're gonna get you feeling better." The nurse pats his arm and reads his chart. "Dr. Cullen has also given the go ahead for you to receive pain medication, which I can give you now" She takes the needle and starts for the IV.

"No." Jasper puts his hand up to stop her.

"Are you sure." The nurse looks perplexed at his refusal, she probably doesn't hear 'no' often.

"Yes." Jasper lays back on the propped up pillows.

"Well alright, for now anyway. I won't have you up all night in pain though. You need to rest and Dr. Cullen will agree with me." She closes Jasper's chart and packs up her things. "Dinner will be in shortly and a cot. If you need something press the buzzer and someone will be in, otherwise just try to relax."

Nurse Line takes her cart and leaves. I pull the one chair in the room closer to the bed. Now it's quiet. Too quiet.

"You want to thumb wrestle?" I take his hand. His eyes look heavy but I know he's not ready to sleep.

"Your thumb is so small." He presses his gently against mine, comparing them.

I move my thumb back and then quickly from side to side. "Yeah but mine's wily and besides I know all your moves."

That makes him smile. He's so handsome when he smiles. "you're on."

TBC...

Forgive any medical mistakes, if it's glaring please let me know and I'll attempt a fix. Thank you as always for reading and reviewing. Thank you to the readers who have been with it since the 1st and thank you to those who just found it and decided to pick it up. This week has been really exciting with the progress on this story, it's been so awesome to write again. Sadly I can't guarantee when or how often I'll be updating, sorry. This week at the office was slow so that made for great writing time, next week I'm preparing for my sister's wedding so who knows what kind of writing time I'll have. If you like the story leave a review, put it on your alert list, I'm not done yet!


	13. While Alice Sleeps

**Carlisle**

I drop some charts off at the nurse's station. I've made my rounds and seen almost every one I need to see. "Are you done for the night Doctor?" Rebecca Uley one of the night nurses on duty asks from behind the station desk.

Rounds tonight have taken longer than I expected but I'm pleased because all my patients are doing well.

"Not yet I have one more stop tonight." It's gotten late but I want to make sure Alice and Jack are settled in and taken care of.

"Well have a good night Doctor." The petite nurse grabs her stethoscope and heads off on her own rounds.

The door is open to Jack's room, I knock softly. The only light on is dim bedside lamp. I enter quietly.

Jack is in bed but obviously not asleep, he is running his fingers through Alice's short dark hair as she sleeps sitting in the room's chair with her head in her folded arms on the edge of his bed.

He turns fixedly in my direction when he hears me come in. "Hey there, I'm just stopping by to see how everything is before I head home for the night." I say in a hush tone as I move over to the bed.

He isn't asleep but by the heavy look in him eyes I don't think that he is completely awake either.

I take a look at the chart hanging on his bed and then check to make sure his IV line is still flowing properly.

I check his pulse and his pupils. Everything seems good. "I hear that you refused to take any pain medication."

"Yes sir." He doesn't quite look at me, like he thinks he's done something wrong.

I can tell he's in pain.

"Jack, I know you didn't like what the medication did to you before, but it might be a vital part of your recovery. I assure you that I will monitor anything that you are given with the utmost care. It will help in the long run." He does not look full convinced.

"I'll think about it." His expression is pained probably from both the mental and physical variety.

I've been a doctor for a while at this point and one of the first things you learn is that drugs like morphine are miracle and a curse at the same time.

There is no doubt in my mind that Jack has seen a lot of those cursed by the drug in the VA and on the streets, it's always sad. Sadder still when you think that addiction may have been prevented if someone had taken better care when administering it.

I understand his trepidation.

"Alright, think about it. There are some other things that can be done or taken for pain." He nods but one of his eye brows is slightly hitched giving the impression that he doesn't fully believe me.

I put his chart away after making a note and start to say good night.

"Sir, before you go could you…" He nods over to the cot that had been set up in the room. "I tried to get her to move before she fell asleep but she didn't want to." He looks tentatively at me and then at her.

"Right, of course." I move to the other side of the bed and with little trouble lift Alice up from the chair and carry her to the cot. I take a moment and slip her shoes off and then cover her with the blanket.

I feel bad she's wearing her street clothes to bed, but I don't think she brought any pajamas. It's always the little things. I'll ask Esme to pack a bag for Alice tomorrow.

"Thank you, doctor." Jack's eyes are drooping but I feel he's still cautiously watching every move I make.

"Have a good night, try and get some sleep." He's got one eye open now, like a cat. I think maybe exhaustion will take him again tonight. "The night nurse will be in to check on you later. I'll see you in the morning."

I'm satisfied and I think it's time for me to get home to my wife.

**Jasper**

I'm dog tired and I hate it. It's not that kind of tired that comes after a full day a basic training, tired you can be proud of. This is weakness.

I probably should just let the drowsiness take me.

But I don't want to sleep, not in a strange place, not with Alice by herself.

And

This place smells funny, too much like antiseptic and floor cleaner.

I can hear nurses talking in the hall.

It's colder here than I expected. I dislike this ridiculously thin cotton gown.

This IV needle sticking in my forearm and the tube coming out of it are uncomfortable and make me nervous.

My leg hurts. It's a persistent ache, nothing new. But not a pleasant feeling, I don't think the temperature in this room is helping.

The fluorescent lighting in hall is creating an eerie glow in the doorway of my dimly lit room.

The one think that is actually nice is that Alice is sleeping and when Alice sleeps she makes these cute little snoring like noises, I just wish she was closer with me and not on the other side of the room.

I see with one eye open that the night nurse is now standing in the doorway. She is short but she's not tiny like Alice. She has probably had to lift a few patients up off the floor by herself working the night shift.

She is silhouetted by the light in the hall and her features are indistinguishable. Her white nurse's uniform stands out in strong contrast to her features making her look ghostly.

She enters the room and comes to the bedside.

My eyes get wide.

"Oh you're awake." She says surprised. "I'm Nurse Uley, Jack. I'm just here to make sure everything is in order tonight." The expression on her face is a pleasant one. But one look at her face makes my heart rate rise and my palms start to sweat, I blink. She looks so much like M…

"Are you alright?" She asks sweetly, her dark eyes full of concern. "Are you in pain? Do you want me to give you something?" She reaches out to touch my arm.

I can't help my reaction; my brain is sending all kinds of danger signals. I pull back from her touch.

"no" I choke out a protest, my voice is strained by the shock wave of pain my movement just caused.

She looks at me confused for a second and then she just looks hurt.

I want to tell her it has nothing to do with her, and everything to do with…

"You may not want pain medication Mr. Whitlock, but I'm giving you a sedative. I think you need to calm down and go to sleep." She says. The kindness in her voice is gone and has been replaced by cold sternness.

"no please, I…" I try to say I'm sorry. I want to explain, not that I know how I would explain… she pushes the needle plunger down and my world quickly goes dark.

'Alice' is my last thought before my mind goes blank.

TBC…

Edward and Emmett come home next chapter.

Thank you Thank you! everyone who's reading and Twilight fans are so the nicest reviewers!


	14. Boys

**Esme**

When Carlisle told me that he'd put Alice to bed in her jeans, I felt bad. She isn't my child but I'm a mother and I'm suppose to think of these things. She and Jack don't seem to have anyone else to think about the small details.

So now I'm packing a bag for them.

Rose is also being helpful. This is nearly enough to knock me over. Maybe I should play the lottery, an un-moody teenage daughter three days in a row is definitely against all odds when it comes to Rose.

Perhaps it's because Edward's been away this week and not pestering her.

I love all my children, but the way Rose and Edward argue and fuss at one another sometimes drives me up a wall. Poor Emmett's always stuck in the middle of it.

I don't think he minds it too much until one of them tries to force him to take sides.

Hopefully they'll grow out of it. Soon.

I fold some socks and stack them with the other clothes I washed for Alice and Jack.

"Here are the tooth brushes and some toothpaste." Rose has put them in a little sandwich bag like I asked her to. She puts them in the front pocket of the overnight bag.

"Thank you. What else do you think they might need?"

"I know something." Rose runs upstairs. She comes back downstairs with a stack of 'Seventeen' magazines, one of her favorites.

"Oh that's a good idea, I wonder if your brother's have some comic books that Jack could borrow?" No sooner do the words come out of my mouth then there is a ruckus at the door and my boys come piling in.

"Speak of the devil." I laugh. They and all their bangs and gear come traipsing through my living room.

"Hi Mom," Edward gives me a hug.

I see Rosalie give Emmett a bear hug.

I also see all the dirt the boys are tracking in. "Hey now you two, get this ball equipment in the garage and out of my living room."

Emmett apologizes and shoulder's his duffel again. "Aunt Esme are you going someplace?" he points out the bag on the couch.

Edward is quick to pick up on what Emmett is saying. "What are you packing for? Wait whose clothes are these? And whose is that?" Edward points to Jack's green army jacket that's draped over the chair by the door, waiting for me to take it to the dry cleaners.

"Whoo cool." Emmet exclaims, he has always been interested in anything military.

Before I get a chance to answer Edward's questions he drops his things and runs upstairs.

Then we all hear Edward's dramatic exclamation. "Who's been in my room?" My heart skips a beat and my mind goes to the worse case scenario as he comes galloping back downstairs.

"Why, is something missing?" I ask.

"No, someone made the bed." He says indignantly. I feel guilty now for my hasty and judgmental thought.

"We had guests the other night, Edward, Aunt Esme and Uncle Carlisle let a girl sleep in your room." Oh good, Rosalie the terror is back.

"What? Mom!" Edward look at me utterly forlorn.

"It was one night Edward, she only slept in your bed and I did change the sheets and remake the bed." I swear he's so dramatic, you'd think I let her use his toothbrush and read his diary. Oh, that was mean of me.

"Who were the guests?" Emmet asks curiously.

"Some strays Uncle Carlisle brought home from the office." Rosalie offered. She thinks she's being funny like Emmet.

"Rose that is not a nice thing to say at all…" I scold. "But yes Carlisle brought them home. A young wounded soldier and his friend. Neither of them had a place to stay the night."

My boys get very quiet at the news. They know that the war is no joking matter. They know It could very well be them who have to fight someday.

**Carlisle**

I finish up my morning rounds with Jack's room. This morning when I knock at the door I find Alice sitting up with Jack who is still sound asleep.

"Good morning Alice." I greet her as I look through Jack's chart to see how the night went. I see something I didn't expect but I don't hint at that to Alice.

"Are you doing alright?" She is sitting in the chair next to Jack's bed and holding his hand.

"Yes, Dr. Cullen thank you for asking." I check Jack's vitals, he looks stable. "Why don't you go stretch your legs? Maybe get something to eat? He'll be out a while longer I suspect."

Alice gives me a determined look, "No that's alright. I'll stay here with him so he won't be alone."

"If you want I could get a nurse to stay with him for a little bit." She shakes her head.

"Alright, I'll be back later, his records should be here anytime now and in a little bit we're going to send him to get some more xrays." I leave Alice and head straight to the nurse's station.

Some of the day shift nurses are busy there filing and making notes in charts. "Does anyone know why Nurse Uley had to give my patient a sedative last night? She didn't elaborate on his chart." I ask.

Some of the nurses look at one another and then look back at me, it makes me a bit nervous.

Nurse Goodman who was starting the second half of her double shift spoke up. "Room 121, right?"

"Yes."

"All I know is when Becca went in there she was in a good mood and when she came out she wasn't. I think she was upset but she didn't want to tell me." Liz shakes her head. "You may be able to catch her, Doctor, I think she's probably getting a cup of coffee at the cafeteria now."

"Thank you." I say sincerely and head off in the direction of the cafeteria.

Liz was right Becca is having coffee. she's sitting by herself when I ask if I can sit with her.

"Yes Dr. Cullen." She seems sullen.

"Becca what happen with Jack Whitlock last night?" I need to know.

"Dr. Cullen I don't know."

She's not the most experienced nurse on staff, but Becca isn't a rookie either so to see her shaken alarms me.

"He was sort of awake last night when I went to check on him and when I introduced myself he got all wide eyed. And when I touched him he jumped back and got all worked up. I've experienced some not nice things here, Doctor, people can be closed minded, but he acted like I terrified him." I saw her eyes start to tear up.

I wonder what caused him to react like that to the little Quileute nurse who wouldn't hurt a fly. I don't know what he was raised to believe as far as race is concerned. But people who have a narrow view as when it comes to race don't usually act terrified.

"Mrs. Uley, Becca, please don't take it personally, I'll talk to him and see what he has to say. If I was to make an educated guess I'd say you experienced a post traumatic stress episode, he's only been back from the war for a short time." I try to explain.

She processed the thought for a second.

"So you think he's shell shocked and that he was scared because I reminded him of someone from Vietnam?" She wiped her eyes with the palm of her hand.

"I think that's a very real possibility." I'm sorry she was upset, but I really had no way of anticipating this. "You should go on home and see your children. Are you alright to drive?"

She nods, she looks more at ease now.

There's nothing else I can do about the incident now until my patient wakes up. I say my goodbyes and head back to my office.

On my deck at the hospital there is an envelop. Jack's medical charts have been delivered by the courier.

I sit down and open the official looking package.

Inside is a large folder, I slide it out and lay it open on the desk.

Clipped on top of the file is a military portrait of Jack. Taken presumably soon after he'd finished basic training.

There are a few noticeably distinct differences between the young man in the photo and the young man I've met. The one in the photo sits up straight and holds his head up proudly. His clothes, his dress uniform is clean, neat, and pressed. His hair is light and cut short in the military crew cut style. His face is slightly fuller, perhaps a little more boyish.

I am surprised to see though that his eyes still have the same haunted look.

Also the picture is small but clear and I think I can make out a scar at his hair line that I've not noticed before. I wonder if it's just the picture or if his long hair has obscured it when I've seen him. I'll have to check when I do a thorough exam.

I started scanning through his enlistment records. Jackson Whitlock was born in Covington Texas in 1952. His parents are listed as deceased, in fact no next of kin is listed at all. A family physician how ever is listed in the file, a Dr. Knox.

Jack was in good health when he joined the army.

Flipping further into the file passed a few records of headaches and stomachaches I get to the incident that lead to where Sergeant Whitlock is today.

The file says that the attack on army base that Jack was stationed at happened back in January of this year.

I try not to watch too much of the news especially at home since images of the war upset Esme terribly. I do however try to keep up, but there have been so many things on the news about the war I can't recall this specific incident.

A medic's report explains that after the attack the medics found Jack unconscious after he'd been hit by the debris from an explosion. He had been outside escorting some civilians when the Vietcong hit suddenly.

The field medic's notes say that Jack was sorted in triage as a medium priority patient. He lay bleeding with minimal medical attention while the doctors attended to the more severely wounded soldiers.

Once someone had the time to give Jack attention he'd lost a lot of blood. Reading between the lines it seemed to me that the medics were overwhelmed and under trained.

Instead of spending the time and probing his wounds for debris the exhausted doctors opted to stitched up his large lacerations and bandaged his others then when it looked like he'd stopped the majority of his bleeding they moved on to another patient and Jack was left alone.

It must have been a horrific scene.

Once the wounded and the dead were sorted and taken care of those that could be transported were moved from the Vietnam base and sent back to the states.

Jack was sent all the way to Philadelphia.

Probably because they had open beds because Dr. Kline's patients' recovered so quickly. I think snidely.

They may have also placed him there because he had no next of kin listed so they didn't have bother trying to place him close to family.

I wonder if his family is really all gone or if they just had a falling out, either way it is sad to not have any love ones to visit you in the hospital.

The next part of the file details what happened when Jack was at the VA.

He was disoriented when he first arrived, with a concussion, general pain, and anemia.

The nurse's notes say he had nightmares and in his disorientation he would ask things like 'where are the girls' and he would call out his own name.

When he wasn't having fits or terrified he was very quiet the only time he would talk was when the nurses came around to check on him and then on his good days, there was a scribbled note in a woman's handwriting, that he could be very charming and very sweet.

The doctor's notes confirm my suspicions. Jack was on Morphine during his stay there. From his charts, I can see, they kept him pretty heavily medicated until the day they took his stitches out and gave him his walking papers.

I sign with exasperation and shut the file.

Again I can't help but think that the drug is a miracle and a curse, some doctors think that to keep drugging the wounded so they don't feel the pain is the only humane thing a doctor can do for these young men who are coming home broken.

Other doctors pump drugs into these young men's systems so the soldier is quiet and docile and doesn't ask for any other medical assistance that would cost time and money.

These doctors prey especially on those wounded who don't have family to look out for them.

I've always tried to stress to my children the importance of family, it isn't about blood and birthrights, it's about surrounding yourself with people who care about you

tbc...

:) Happy Reading. I love Reviews.


	15. Seditive morning

**Jasper**

There is a fog around me it's in my brain and it's hard to think clearly. It's like when in rained in the late afternoon in the jungle and steam rouse from the ground making everything hazy.

My mouth feels dry. Do I have a canteen? Where am I?

I felt safe in the jungle for a time. It feels funny to think that now, but it was true. In the jungle I was safe from her.

From her… were the kids alright? The kids? No, the girls, that was it "Are the girls alright?" I ask out loud to no one I am surprise to hear a reply to my question.

I hear "What girls?" through the fog.

"The three girls that were with me before the explosion" The haze starts to thin in front of my eyes and I can make out a figure with me.

"There are no girls Jack." It's not a man, not a soldier, it's a woman with me.

She says there are no girl, but there were. There were three girls, I was taking them across the base. There were three.

The thought is rolling around in my head and I can't see clearly. I know there were three,

My brain must have gotten rattled in the explosion.

but if there weren't three girls… three people perhaps. No no no no…

My throat is starting to tighten. I feel like I can't breathe. "Jack?" I hear the far off voice again.

"Jack wake up." The voice is small and sounds worried. I can't be bothered with it, I'm too busy trying to sort out my own thoughts.

There was an explosion, there were people, I was helping, there was a bomb…

I start to shake, I feel someone take my arm. I pull back afraid of her.

I'm afraid that Maria has found me.

**Alice**

It's not like Jasper hasn't had nightmares before because he has. I've sat up with him or been woken up by him many nights in our time together.

In the past though it was usually enough for me to sit next to him and gently wake him up. He might be startled when he woke up but he always woke up.

Today is different. It is like he isn't here with me. It's like he's a million miles away and he can't see or hear me.

I reach out and touch his arm but he pulls back and pushes himself away from me.

"Stop Jazz you're going to hurt your self." I try to keep my voice even but I know it's getting higher pitched and sterner as he pushes closer to the edge of the bed.

I'm worried.

As he slides away his breathing is short and in gasps. His eyes are unfocused. He is making what sounds a bit like a whimper now. His arms wrap around his midsection as I'm sure pain shoots up and down his side.

I can only image the pain he's causing himself by rolling on his side. I feel so bad I didn't know he would react this way, I've never seen him do this before.

"Jazz you're going to pull your IV out." I softly plead with him. But he turns inwards pulling his knees up and rolling over tugging at the IV line and needle in his arm.

Now this is getting plan ridiculous, I will not have anyone hurt him not even himself.

"Jasper Whitlock stop it now." I say in a bossiest tone.

That gets through. He looks up at me and blinks a few times which I take as a good sign, he usually does that when he's coming around. He stops blinking and his handsome green eyes focus on mine.

"Hey are you alright?" I ask as I rub his arm. He's scared me and I'd like to know he's back with me.

Before he gets the chance to answer, Dr. Cullen returns. I'm happy he's here.

I wipe my eyes and step away from the bed. Jasper groans and rolls over on his back.

Dr. Cullen moves around and shines a light in Jasper's eyes and checks his IV. "The nurse last night gave you a sedative Jack. She said it was the only thing that would calm you after you acted terrified of her."

"I did?" Jasper questions honestly.

"Yes" Dr. Cullen looks serious.

"I'm sorry sir I don't remember." Dr. Cullen checks Jasper's pulse.

"That's alright, it's understandable." Dr. Cullen's expression softens. I wish I knew what happened last night maybe that would explain what just happen now. "Do you still feel groggy?"

"I still do." Jasper shakes his head like he was trying to clear it. Dr. Cullen nods.

"I know what might help." The Doctor goes and sticks his head out the door and flags down a nurse. They speak for a moment and then he is back at Jasper's bed side.

"Nurse Line is going to have some breakfast brought in for you, until then I'd like to take this time to examine you a bit more thoroughly, if you don't mind." Jasper grimaces at the idea but relents and pushes himself up to sit straighter in the bed.

I stand off to side, I've done all the helping I can do.

**Carlisle**

Jack was awake and Alice was by his side when I got back. He doesn't look like he'd had an easy sleep.

I'd like to leave him to rest some more but we need to keep things rolling.

"I've look over your records from the army. They said you were escorting civilians at the time of the attack, is that correct?" Jack nods in response to the question but he has a perplexed look on his face, I ignore the look it's probably because of the sedative.

"And you were hit in the side and the leg, where else?" Jack lifts up his arms timidly and I make a note in the chart.

Looking closely I can see his forearms are laces with thin white scars from where shrapnel from the explosion struck him. "Anywhere else?" He looks a bit uncomfortable but directs my attention to the right side of his neck. The same white pattern is there perhaps a bit lighter. "Do you have any pain in your arms or neck?"

"No sir." He shakes his head again.

"May I?" I reach out to him and he hesitates but agrees to let me touch him. I run my hands quickly along his forearms, just incase I'm able to feel a piece of shrapnel. He tenses and has an uncomfortable look on his face.

I don't detect any pieces of metal but "we should probably take xrays of your arms and neck to make sure. What about your head, I read you were found unconscious and had a concussion. Where did you hit your head?"

"I think it was here." He puts his hand up and holds the left side of his head.

I put the chart back down and examined his head closer. I brush his blond hair off of his face "I think we may need to get you a hair cut." I see Alice smile out of the corner of my eye, I suspect she thinks so too.

I check for the scar at his hair line and find it is indeed there. "What is this scar from?"

His teeth clench. "That one is older." His green eyes squeeze shut, he looks like he is remembering. It doesn't look like a good memory.

I try to lighten the mood "Did you get it playing sports?" I ask as he draws back from my touch. "My boys have some scars like this one, between sports and roughhousing I've had to stitch them up a few times." The scar looks like the cut was deep, I wonder if there was any other damage, I think I will order a skull xray also.

"Excuse me Doctor." Nurse Dawson comes in the door behind mes with a cafeteria tray with breakfast.

"Oh good, alright Jack have some breakfast, the orderlies will be by soon to take you to xray and I'll see you later." I say good bye to my patient and Alice.

**Alice**

I sit in the arm chair with my knees pulled up to my chest and my chin resting on my knees. It is very quiet in the room with out Jasper or any of the nurses around. I don't mind the quiet but it's not my favorite. I would much rather have something fun to do.

Hospitals aren't supposed to be fun. I learned that fairly quickly after pretending the floor of the last hospital I visited was hot lava. The nurses there didn't appreciate me using their desk as a bridge.

I'm on my best behavior now; I have to be for Jasper and because of all that Dr. Cullen is doing for us.

He didn't eat very much. I tried to get him to eat his breakfast but he just wanted me to have it. He kept offering me his eggs and toast. I did nibble on it, I was hungry, but I'd give it back to him. Jasper should have eaten more.

Then they did come and take him to be xrayed, the rolled him out bed and all. He's been gone awhile now, the room is quiet and empty. I'd like to go walk around and get out of this room but I don't know when Jasper will be back and I don't want him to come back to an empty room and worry.

There is a knock at the open door. I'm surprised to see Rosalie in the doorway. "Hey Alice"

I jump up from the chair, excited for a visitor. "Rose, it's so good to see you. Are you here to visit Dr. Cullen?"

Rose smiles at me. She is very pretty with long blond hair and greenish blue eyes.

"Aunt Esme wanted to bring this by for you." She came into the room and put a duffel on the end of the cot. "There are toothbrushes, pajamas and some other clothes, socks and stuff. I also packed some magazines for you, sorry I've already taken all the quizzes in them. They boys also sent some comic books they thought Jack might like to look at." She pulls the magazines and comics out of a side pocket of the duffel and puts them on top of the bag.

"Thank you." I pick up the magazine and flip through looking a all the models and their pretty clothes. I think I'll like looking at these.

**Edward**

Mom has sent me and Emmett to find Rose.

We came to the hospital to drop some things off to a patient of Dad's and Rose slipped away while Mom was socializing with nurses at the nurse's station.

Not even Emmett notice that Rose had left as he was busy regaling some of the orderlies with the story of his triple play in the game against the Fairbanks Huskies this past week.

She was probably thinking she was being cool or something, going off by herself. She's probably all excited to talk to the soldier and his gamine girlfriend without us.

I don't care. I don't care what Rosalie does as long as she doesn't upset Mom or Dad or get me and Emmett in trouble.

I'm just amazed she's taken an interest in something that doesn't have to do with her. I'm pretty sure she's got an ulterior motive I just haven't figured it out what it is yet.

I hope Rose isn't scarring them for life. I'm sure they've been through enough without her criticizing their clothes and giving them makeovers.

Uuugg Rose makeovers I bet they'd wind up looking like they belonged on The Partridge Family.

Emmett walking through the halls of the hospital like he's on a mission

I think Emmett is excited about meeting this soldier. In his eyes this guy is a war hero like Captain America or something.

I've tried to explain to Emmett that this war in Vietnam is nothing like WWII and that soldiers who fight in it shouldn't be put on a pedestal.

We don't live in the forties things just aren't black and white now.

Now, if a soldier is drafted then they are poor unlucky bastard and if they enlisted then they are just an ignorant bastard.

There are no heroes. That's just comic book stuff.

I think the closest anyone can come to being a hero is by helping others like Dad does.

Not by killing them.

TBC...

Thank you for reading and reviewing. Thanks for all your support.


	16. Visits

**Edward**

Emmett stops short next to me. "Rose, there you are!" He exclaims a little louder than he should have in the hospital.

I cringe, He doesn't think.

I follow him into a small single room with no bed or patient in it. Instead Rose stands with a small dark hair girl who I assume is the gamine.

"Hi there, you must be Emmett and Edward." She says sweetly.

"I'm Emmett, the serious one is Edward." Emmett clarifies and I narrow my eyes at him.

"Hi Emmett I'm Alice and you're tall." Alice puts her little hand out and Emmett takes and shakes it. She's made his day, I know that he loves when people notice how tall he's gotten this year.

She turns to me. She has big dark eyes "Thanks for letting me use your bed, it was a really nice one." What can I say to that, but "You're welcome." I shake her thin hand.

I think I like her she's sincere.

"Hello Alice dear." Mom comes in the room behind us. Alice skips over too greet her.

"Thank you so much Mrs. Cullen for the things." I notice for the first time that she is wearing an old sweater of Rose's. It looks nice, the color suits her.

"You're welcome Alice. Where is Jack?" Mom makes the first mention of the noticeably absent soldier.

"Dr. Cullen sent Jack for xrays and test I think. I don't know when he'll be back. I'm sure he'll like the comic books you both sent." She looks at me and Emmett again. "Thank you."

"Sure no problem, if he finishes those we can lend him some more." Emmett offers.

"Have you eaten Alice?" Mom asks in a very motherly tone. I think Mom can't help but try and take care of everyone.

"I had a some breakfast." Alice dances a bit on her toes as we all stand around in the room. It was nice and bright for a hospital room.

"Well it's past lunch time now." Mom starts rummaging in her purse. "Why don't we go down to the cafeteria."

Alice smiles but it doesn't reach her eyes. "Thank you for the offer, but I don't want Jack to come back while I'm away."

Mom thought about Alice's dilemma for a second. "Why don't you go down to the cafeteria and pick out something you like, Rose and the boys can go with you. You can get something and bring it right back. I'll stay here incase Jack gets back and let him know where you are. Would that be alright?"

Alice perks right up at the idea. "That would be alright I think, Jazz knows you, so he won't have to worry." Mom pulls a couple bills out of her purse and hands them to Rose. "bring me back a cup of coffee."

**Esme**

I sit down in the arm chair to wait for Alice and the kids or Jack to get back to the room. I pick up one of Rose's magazines and casually flip through the pages.

The room they have Jack in is a nice single. It's small but it has a window and really nice light.

It's a bit cold in the hospital today. They always keep it on the cold side but today it's chilly.

A chill gives me the goose bumps and reminds me that I packed a blanket in the duffle. I get up and pull it out of the bag. I'm tempted to wrap it around myself but, I think that moving around will help me warm up.

I set the blanket over to the side and put the duffel on the floor. The little cot has been left disheveled so I set about straightening it.

I tuck the sheets in and straighten the pillows. The blanket on the cot is a thin hospital blanket not much to it.

The blanket that I've brought is one of the ones that mostly stays in our linen closet unless it is extremely cold out. It's a large patchwork quilt, it's very warm but it is also rather ugly.

It was made by one of Carlisle's patients for him years ago, it's one of those remnant quilts I think. It certainly looks like the pieces of this quilt were pieces from forty unrelated projects. The colors clash, the patterns are at odds; there are lots of plaids, next to stripes, next to polka dots. The backing is a terrible bright orange.

It is, of course, a charming quilt in its own way and undoubtedly made with love. But it does not match a thing in my house so the only time it sees the light of day is when one of the kids needs an extra blanket on their bed.

I'm happy to see that it will be able to help someone, I am sure that's what the maker of it intended.

"I see the orange monster has come back to the hospital." I look up and Carlisle is standing in the doorway. "Hi there," He looks at me sweetly. "I heard you were in the building."

I love visiting him at work. He looks so handsome in his lab coat, with his stethoscope around his neck.

"Yep, we just came to drop some pajamas and things off to Alice and Jack."

"Is Rose here too?" I can see he's surprised. Rose has been on a kick recently where she doesn't want to go anywhere with us, she'd rather stay up in her room.

"Rose and the boys, they got back this morning. I had them take Alice to the cafeteria to get some lunch." I explain.

"I was thinking about it and I think I'll have her brought meals when Jack gets his. I this is such a unique case, it's a bit unorthodox but I think I can swing it."

"That would probably be best." I could tell that if we hadn't come along Alice just won't have eaten.

"Were you left to stand guard?" Carlisle chuckles at me.

"I'm to inform Jack if he gets back before Alice that she is getting something to eat and will be back as quickly as possible." I chuckle a bit too though I know it's deadly serious business to Alice, oh to be that young and in love again.

"I'm expecting Jack to be back any minuet." Carlisle stands with me in the room at just enough of a distance to be professional. I know he enjoys it when I visit him at work.

**Rosalie**

I hold Aunt Esme's coffee. The cup is nice and warm in my hand, I hate visiting the hospital it's just cold in this building. I think I'd like to have a cup of coffee also, but I know that Uncle Carlisle and Aunt Esme don't want us drinking coffee yet. I have to wait till college.

I'd like to pay and get out of here but Alice is trying to decide what to get and Emmett isn't making her decision any easier. He's telling her to get everything on the menu and trying to load her tray with every bag of chips and all the cookies he can.

"Emmett, quit being a goof." I move between him and the counter and start putting the chips and things back where they came from.

"I just thought she looked kinda hungry Rose." Emmett give me his best puppy dog eyes. That isn't going to work on me.

"And you though she'd be so grateful for your assistance she'd share, right. Boys…" I sigh. "Pick out one thing Emmett." I punctuate the statement.

I look at Alice, she's holding her tray which is now empty.

"Hum, what should I get?" She looks up at the menu.

"Do you like chicken salad sandwiches, that's what Aunt Esme and I get. Uncle Carlisle gets the turkey club for lunch a lot I know…" I try to help her along.

"The chicken salad, I think that sounds good." She says with confidence that surprises me.

"Would you like chips?" I ask but I don't wait for her to answer before putting a bag on her tray. She excepts them.

"Ummm yeah, that would be good." She leans a little closer to me as we walk down to the cash register, I don't know why she's invading my space.

"Does Edward always just kinda hang back and watch you?" It would be Edward wouldn't it/ I turn in the direction the Alice is looking and sure enough Edward is standing over at the trash can scrutinizing our every move.

"Just ignore him, he just doesn't know how to behave in public, did I tell you Carlisle found him in the jungle? Edward thinks he's Tarzan but really he's the ape."

**Esme**

The orderlies wheel Jack back into the room and leave him with Carlisle.

Jack still has the same pained look on his face but he's got more color in his cheeks now I think, probably because of the IV. He is awake and seems alert.

He looks around the room with a serious expression on his face. I take that as my cue. "Alice had gone to the cafeteria with Rose and our boys, Jack, she'll be back in a few minuets.

He looks like he's about to say something, but then he stops and turns his head to watch the door.

"Jack I have some papers here I need you to sign." Carlisle pulls out a stack of paper and rolls them over to Jack on a table that slides around the bed.

I want to tell Carlisle that this isn't a good time to do legal things, Jack's attention is definitely divided but I don't want to interrupt.

Carlisle explains that the papers are transfer papers so that he can be the lead doctor on Jack's case and not the VA. They will also make it so the government will pay for the medical expenses.

"I need you to sign the top pink sheet and initial the yellow copy. The white copy is yours to take and read. The green paper needs your name at the top and your signature and the date at the bottom." Carlisle holds out a pen to Jack. Jack looks at the papers and his pained expression becomes anxious.

Signing legal documents can always be a bit nerve racking, I've signed enough with the adoptions of my three kids to last me a lifetime and a half. But Jack is staring at these papers like he can't remember how to read.

He can read can't he? Gosh, I haven't seen him read; he didn't look at the menu much yesterday at lunch.

Hesitantly Jack takes the pen and begins going through the papers slowly, carefully looking at each one.

Carlisle and I stand by quietly as Jack completes his task. He signs the last paper and sets the pen down.

"Great." Carlisle projects supportive confident doctor but Jack doesn't look like he's buying in. He looks worried for lack of a better word. He looks like a lost little boy and I can't help but want to hug him.

"Jack I'm going to take a look at your xrays and start making a plan. I'd like to schedule you for surgery on Tuesday. That way we have a couple more days to get your strength up. Also, are you allergic to any medication?"

"Not that I know of." Jack say quietly and with a hint of a question in his voice.

"Your file didn't say anything about allergies, it's just because you had such a strong reaction to the sedative the nurse gave you last night and would be amiss if I put you under general anesthesia if I didn't do my homework first. I didn't see a family history in your file, do you know if any of your family is allergic?" I'm so happy to see that Carlisle is using the fancy pen I gave him for Christmas to take notes.

Before I smile like a giddy school girl I hear my children in the hallway. They know better than to be loud in the hospital, of course it's Emmett who's being the loudest. I'm going to get that boy's hearing tested with all the shouting he does if he's not deaf he's going to be.

I step out into the hallway to head them off.

**Emmett**

We are walking Alice back to the room and I'm having fun trying to make her laugh. She's been laughing at all the goofy stuff I can think of so it hasn't been hard work unlike trying to get Rose or gosh Ed to laugh anymore.

"Hey." Rosalie hisses at me and taps me on the arm I start to say something goofy to her but then I see the look she's giving me.

It's one of those 'you're in trouble now' looks, so I slow down and look at what Rose is looking at.

It's Aunt Esme she's standing outside the room, she does not look happy and as usual it's probably my fault.

"Emmett, this is a hospital not a ball field." She chides. "You need to be quiet people are trying to rest."

"I'm sorry Aunt E." I am really sorry to upset her, I didn't mean to be too loud.

"That's alright Emmett just try to remember." She gives me a sweet smile and I know I'm off the hook.

She turns to Alice. "Did you get something to eat?"

Alice replies enthusiastically but also very quietly. She doesn't want to get scolded like I did.

Alice ate her sandwich at the cafeteria but I saw her put her bag of chips and her cookie in her pocket she's saving them for later I'm sure.

Aunt Esme ushers Alice back into the room and tells the rest of us to wait outside while Uncle Carlisle finishes up with Jack. I stand with Rose and Edward leans against the wall. White uniformed nurses move up and down the hall passing us. Some of them say hello. I know some of their names, but not all of them.

Standing in the hall I can still hear Uncle Carlisle inside talking to the soldier. He says he's going to make some calls and then I hear him mention us.

"Hey guys," He sticks his head out of the room. "Come on in for a second and I'll introduce you."

This isn't the first time we've met one of Uncle Carlisle patients. Gosh I was one of his patients once. I know it's not an unusual occurrence but this time it definitely feels odd to me. Maybe because it's been along time since I've been in the hospital.

The room when we go in is as bright as it was before we left but now with the hospital bed and patient back in it the room seems cramped and uncomfortable.

I haven't met a lot of soldiers before. This one is not what I expected. He's thin and small and I hardly believe he's older than I am. I think the bed might swallow him whole. His face is pale and I can tell he's in pain. He seems nervous. I know hospitals can be scary places. I wonder what kind of things he's seen to make him this nervous.

Carlisle introduces me and I move to shake Jack's hand. Taking a step closer to him I can see clearly now the scars all over his arms, holy cow he has more scars than I do what did this guy get into.

"Hey man, good to meet you. Sorry you're not feeling well, if anyone can fix you up it's Uncle Carlisle." I'm speaking from experience.

"That's what I hear." He says through tight lips. I smile at him hoping to ease some of the tension in the room. This guy definitely has one thing I might have expected from a veteran soldier; he is intense, like Bruce Banner from the Incredible Hulk intense.

Uncle Carlisle introduces Edward next. Edward doesn't say anything except 'Hi' and he's eyes are narrowed so intently at Jack someone who didn't know Ed might have thought he was glaring at the guy.

Aunt Esme gives Edward a look I can see she's is in comforting mother mode and she doesn't approve of Edward being rude. Carlisle stands back looking very smart and all doctorly.

Alice is next to Jack through everything and Rosalie is standing surprisingly close to her.

Ed looks moody, uuggg he's always so blah when he's being all moody, maybe I should have left him in Seattle.

"Alright come on it's time we were leaving." Aunt Esme has decided and starts moving Rose and Ed and me towards the door.

"Thank you so much for everything." Alice chimes as we say our good byes. "And won't you please come again to visit?"

"If you'd like, we'll try to visit again." Esme says diplomatically.

"Bye Mrs. Cullen, Bye Rose, Bye Edward, Bye Emmett." She's so cute, if I could I'd pick her up and put her in my pocket.

Jack doesn't say anything he just watches Alice, her hand is in his. It is apparent in a glance that to him she is everything.

**Carlisle**

If there is one thing I've learned as a parent it is that some times your children surprise you, for better and for worse.

My children's visit today was a prime example of this. All my children can be kind, giving, and caring. But they are teenagers now so those qualities are often a bit suppressed by hormones and self absorption, which I know is only to be expected.

Today though Rose seemed to take a real interest in the well fair of Alice and Emmett was kind and encouraging to Jack. It was really very nice to watch.

Then Edward seemed as uninterested and disgusted as I've ever seen him. I know he has strong political feelings and he's passionate about his beliefs, I was just shocked at how he wore them on his sleeve.

I'll have to have a discussion with him about that in the near future.

Right now I need to get a hold of a Dr. Knox in Covington Texas and see if I can get a more detailed medical history for Jack Whitlock.

TBC...

Thank you to all the Troops and Veterans. Thank you to all the readers and reviewers.


	17. The Call

**Carlisle**

"Dr. Cullen you have good timing, my assistant and myself were just about to close up for the evening. What can I do for you?" The man's Texas draw was thick. He sounds like what I imagine an old cowboy would sound like.

"Yes I'm glad I caught you Dr. Knox I'm with Forks Hospital in Washington and I'm treating a patient of yours you may remember Jack Whitlock." The doctor is quiet for a long pause. Longer than I think was normal. For a moment I'm not sure if he's going to talk with me.

"Dr. Knox ?" I question.

"Jack you say, I'm sorry to hear that, I hope he'll be alright."

"He'll be much better once he has surgery." I explain. "I need to know if any allergies to anesthesia run in his family. I asked your receptionist to send his medical history."

"You asked my receptionist, without asking me first?" The man's voice gets very stern. "Dr. Cullen I consider that hugely inappropriate and unprofessional under these circumstances." His outburst surprises me.

"I'm sorry Dr. Knox I was just…" I understand everyone runs their offices differently but I don't understand the severity of his reaction.

"No," he stops my thought. "tell J… tell Jack I'm sorry. I'll have his family medical records sent over to you as fast as I can." Without another word the line goes dead.

**Jasper**

I'm trying not to think.

But my mind is racing and every road leads a different worst possible outcome

Alice is trying to distract me with tales of the cafeteria and the temptation of an oatmeal raisin cookie but it's not working.

I rub my side trying to make the ache there go away. Even with the ache the pain in my leg is barely on the radar compared to the bomb that's been dropped in my lap.

The good doctor is thorough. He's calling Texas.

I put Dr. Knox on my papers for the army because if I died I wanted them to notify someone.

It seemed reasonable at the time, now it just seems like a foolish mistake.

I know there is no way this will end well for me. If he calls he'll find out who I am and either I'll be locked up, put in front of a firing squad, or at very least I'm sure Dr. Cullen will refuse to do the surgery.

And all that pales in comparison to the scariest thing I can think of; if he calls Texas then she'll know where I am and she'll come find me.

I can only imagine the tortures Maria has thought up for me over the past two years.

I tried. I hope Alice knows I've tried. But I think this might be the end for me.

I want to run.

I feel weak.

I feel helpless.

I feel trapped.

I feel like a man with his head on the chopping block with nothing to do but say my final prayers.

I pray that I can protect Alice from the fallout that is coming.

Damn all the shrapnel.

**Carlisle**

Jack's xrays this time come in a few envelopes. They xrayed his entire body. I wanted to make sure we didn't miss anything.

Putting it all up on the light boxes was a bit surreal. Most of the time, you have only a piece to look at, just an arm or just a foot. Now in front of me is the whole skeleton from his phalanges to his neurocranium.

The shrapnel is his leg and hip shows up bright and my eyes are drawn to it. I had them take a couple shots of this area so I can see just how the pieces are situated. I'll need to start formulating a plan for removing them.

Moving to the xrays of the arms I can see a few tiny glowing slivers in his forearms, probably from putting up his arms defensively during the bombing.

This may not look like much and they may not be bothering him like the larger pieces. But they can be deadly if they get hit or pushed into the blood stream they could reach the heart and cause immense damage.

Not to mention the scar tissue that is building up around all of the fragments that may cause problems in the future.

I add these to the list of things to deal with during the surgery.

The bones seem to have a story to tell as well.

I can see healed breaks on his ribs, his wrists and fingers, they had been set before they healed but their placement and multitude makes me wonder when they were received and what caused them. There is also a healed mark on his skull where the scar at his hair line is.

It all begs the question were these injuries caused by 'boys being boys' or did something more sinister happen to this young man.

I generally like to be optimistic about human nature but I've seen enough in my life to not be blissfully ignorant when it comes to people.

**Alice**

They brought both of us dinner this evening. The nurse who brought the food seemed a little perplexed by Dr. Cullen's directions but she didn't question them.

For hospital food dinner wasn't bad at all. I cleaned my plate.

Jasper on the other hand wanted none of it. He hasn't told me what's bothering him but I know something is.

I feel like he's lost hope, which I don't understand, now that he's so close to being better.

I tried to cheer him up earlier, I tried telling him some jokes that Dr. Cullen's son Emmett told me that I thought were funny, but he didn't even crack a smile.

Not even a little smile for me.

I'm not the best at telling jokes. I usually give away the punch line but Jasper will usually give me a chuckle for trying. But not tonight.

Jasper just lies in the bed. Sometimes he stares at the ceiling other times I look up from the magazine I'm flipping through and he's staring at me.

I smile encouragingly at him.

His green eyes stare blankly back.

"Do you need anything? Would you like a comic to read?" I ask trying to sound chipper.

"No." He draws softly and turns his head to look up at the ceiling again.

I cough and clear my throat, he looks at me again. "You weren't the only one Edward was glaring at." I gently bring up a subject that I think might be bothering him.

"No?" Jasper hitches an eyebrow at me.

"The way he was looking at you, he was glaring like that at Rose too. I think he was definitely in a grumpy mood about something, not just at you." I try to assure him. He sighs.

"I've seen looks like those since being back, they may not be personal but it's hard not to take them that way some days."

"Was it personal today?" He looks tired and worn out.

"Today I've got more important things to focus on them some kid giving me the evil eye."

**Jasper**

4,159, that's how many little holes I've counted in the ceiling tile above my head. It's taken me all afternoon and into the evening.

The sun has gone down now, it's dim in the room and I have to strain my eyes to keep counting.

Maybe there is something else I could count mindlessly. The beeping of the medical machines;How many footsteps I can hear out in the hall; How many times Alice exclaims "ooohh" while flipping through her magazine; How many hours I have left until I'm out on the streets again.

**Carlisle  
**

I'm barely in the door before Rose is telling me I something about Edward and how he's annoying her.

I choose not to acknowledge her until after I put my briefcase down and take my wool trench coat off and hang it on the rack.

Rose waits impatiently with her arms crossed.

"What can I do for you Rose?" I turn to her finally ready to hear what she has to say.

"You need to tell Edward to turn his music down! I can't hear myself think." Sure enough as if on cue another song starts, I think it's Bob Dylan or Peter, Paul, and Mary.

Oh my what have my children been getting into since I saw them this afternoon.

Edward has always loved folk singers and politically minded protest song. He usually plays his records in his room quietly, but apparently today he's been playing them so everyone can hear.

"Did you ask him to turn the music down?" Rose just rolls her eyes at the idea. One of these days I'm going to get her and Edward to communicate.

"I asked and he just turned it up louder, he said it was something we all needed to hear. He thinks he's making a political statement." She makes a face as the song 500 miles starts to play, definitely Peter, Paul, and Mary.

"I'll go and talk to him." I concede, you have to pick your battles. "What are your plans Rose, I figured you'd be out, it is Saturday night." Rose has been out with a few young men this school year. Which is good, for a while we thought she might decide not to date.

"Well Rick called and canceled our dinner plans, but it's whatever. Emmett said he'd like to see a movie so I think we're going to get going." Emmett is a year older than Rose but he had to repeat a grade after the dog attack set him back, so he and Rose are in the same grade. They've been good friends for years.

I don't think I have to worry about them, we've had the talk.

"Alright that sounds fine, have a good time." I shake my head, here Rose is all worked up about Edward and his music and she's getting ready to walk out the door.

Emmett comes trotting downstairs singing along to If I Had a Hammer which is playing much louder than necessary . "Hey Uncle Carlisle," He greets me happily as he and Rose grab their coats.

I've always admired Emmett's cheerful disposition.

"By Aunt E." He calls over his shoulder as he and Rose head out.

And his powerful lungs.

Esme is reading a book in the living room. She looks up and puts her bookmark in between the pages when I come in. "How was the rest of your day?" I ask her.

"Oh the usual." She shrugs and lazily twirls her hand in the air, making reference, I know, to the music and the commotion caused by it.

"How did you make out?" She puts her book down and walks with me into the kitchen.

"I had to make a phone call this afternoon and it got kind of strange." I pull the leftover plate of pork chops and peas out of the oven where Esme has left them warming for me.

"How's that?" Esme asks as she grabs me a glass.

"I just did what I usually do when I call asking for a doctor to transfer patient records. I talk to the nurse or receptionist and tell them what I need and then I talk to the doctor for any insight or details. This doctor got upset because I talked to his receptionist without talking to him first."

"Well should you have spoken with him first?" I take my plate over to the table and Esme brings me a glass of water and sits down next to me.

"I don't think I need permission to request patient files be sent to me and It's not his job to pull them and get them ready presumably it's hers. So I assumed she was the person to talk to. He did not care for that and he let me know it."

I think back to the strange way he said he was sorry to Jack. 'No tell Jack I'm sorry.' What was he sorry for? Perhaps he was sorry Jack was injured. That could be it. But does that explain his long silences.

I don't know, I'm not going to think about it anymore tonight. I'm going to eat my dinner, enjoy some songs by Phil Ochs courtesy of Edward, and then go and talk with my youngest son.

**Jasper**

It's after midnight. Alice is sleeping on a cot next to me. She has a funny looking quilt the Cullen's left pulled up to her chin and she's breathing softly. I watch her, trying to clear my thoughts of everything but her.

Is her hair dark like dark chocolate or dark like a night with a crescent moon.

Is her complexion more like snow, milk, or porcelain.

I wish we could have known each other in a happier place and time. These past few months with her have so nice, with her I didn't have to hid, and no one was trying to hurt me. Grant it I was in pain but being with her made it more tolerable.

Her smile and determination became mine.

She has my heart, she knows heart, but she doesn't know my whole history. It wasn't important that she know it all before, it is past and something I want to forget.

But now that it might come back with a vengeance, I should tell her more than that she needs to call me Jack in front of other people.

Maybe the answer is to leave. I'll take this needle out of my vein, grab Alice and walk out of here. I know what's wrong with me now. I should be able to find another doctor to fix me.

I look down at the IV taped to my arm and am tempted to pull it out, but I don't.

I know Alice won't feel the same, she feels that Dr. Cullen is the only doctor that can help us.

I wish I could go home, Dr. Knox could fix me. He always did a real good job in the past.

I know it would be too risky.

For me to walk back into town now and be seen by anyone but Dr. Knox would be like putting a noose around my own neck.

I wonder if Dr. Cullen will talk to Dr. Knox, I wonder how he is. I wonder what he'd think of me being in the Army. I wonder if Dr. Cullen calling will put Dr. and Mrs. Knox in danger.

Could I warn them? Would calling them help? It's probably between 10 and 11 o'clock there.

There is a phone on the table next to the bed but I don't know their number.

My stomach starts to tie it's self in knots. Uuugg…

At my door a night nurse has stopped ready to make her inspection. I shut my eyes tight and pretend to be asleep.

TBC…

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	18. Records

**Carlisle**

I knock on Edward's door. He has been playing his records non stop since he got home this afternoon according to Esme.

I don't think he hears me over I Won't March Anymore so I knock again a little louder. "Edward, open the door please."

This time he opens it, just a crack, just enough so he can see me but I can't see in the room.

"Can we talk?" I ask in a calm tone that my children usually respond to. The stern expression on his face softens and he leaves the door open as he heads back inside.

I follow him into the room and find his albums are spread allover the floor. The sound music is engulfing, it swallows me as I walk in the room towards his speakers that is turned to face the door.

Abruptly Edward pulls the needle from the spinning recorded and stops the turntable. The silence is just as encompassing and I relax and breathe. I didn't release I had been holding my breath.

"What do you want?" Edward asks with a defiant tone in his voice as he sits on the edge of his bed. I take a seat in his desk chair.

I ignore his tone. "I thought perhaps you wanted to talk about something." I sometimes wind up playing duel rolls of father and counselor but I think in this house these roles have go hand in hand.

Edward is fifteen, he's just starting to become a man. He's growing like a weed including his hair which he's decided he wants to wear long. He's not as tall as Emmett yet and he's much lankier. He's athletic or at least he always has been but he's all uncoordinated knees and elbows right now.

He loves baseball. He loves reading books. He loves his music.

Edward has always been a thoughtful serious child since the day he came into my and Esme's life.

I know he thinks about everything and now that he's a teenager he thinks he knows everything too.

He's got a lot to learn.

"I don't know what I want to tell you." He says. I can see the wheels spinning behind his eyes. It is very clear he's upset.

"Why have you been broadcasting you're music all throughout the house today?" It seems like an obvious question but he gets more frustrated.

"I don't know, I just, I thought that they…" He stares at the floor.

"They what?" I lean forward with my elbows resting on my knees trying to coax an answer out of him.

"Rosalie and Emmett need to learn. Emmett especially needs to learn… about the fighting and war and that people have rights." He says it with conviction but he doesn't say it loudly. There's some sadness in the way he says it.

"Edward, I think everyone in this house knows that violence is a terrible thing and that everyone has the right to live." They've all had experiences that would make them more knowledgeable about these things then most people their age.

He gets angry again.

"Then why are they getting all excited about meeting some soldier who's been overseas killing people, burning villages, and god knows what else." He doesn't yell, Edward tends to internalize his anger and frustration I think he might feel better if he did yell a bit.

"You don't know that this soldier has done things like that Edward and even if he has he was following orders and was doing it to protect you and keep the country safe." I rationalize.

"That's all a bunch of bull Dad. You're being a pawn just like the rest of them. America doesn't need to be in Vietnam, it's not our war. They aren't the Nazis they weren't trying to attack us. They had the right to run their country and we interfered."

"I think you might be missing some of the finer points Edward." I have a feeling the war is more complicated what both of us know.

"The way you're talking Dad you'll have Emmett and I signed up and off the war the second we turn eighteen, to protect America and our freedoms." Edward looks at me accusingly.

"Now, wait just a minuet, I said violence was a bad thing, I would never wish for you or Emmett to go and fight."

"But the way you talk, and the way you glorify that soldier Jack." I'm not sure that I glorified anyone but I don't say anything I'd rather hear what he perceived.

Edward starts tugging at a string hanging off the blanket on his bed. "I saw the way you looked at him; you made him a hero to Emmett.

Emmett thinks that going and fighting for your country is the only right thing to do. He sees you looking proud at some scarred war vet and he thinks that's what he should be. He doesn't know that really everyone should just stay out of everyone else's business and let people live their own lives."

I almost point out to him that if I thought that way, I would have never brought him out of the rainforest in the Philippines and he probably would have died there like his parents. But this doesn't seem like the right time for that conversation.

"So because Jack chose to fight, I shouldn't treat him. I should just let him live his life even if that kills him." I suggest.

"Well no, I mean…" He accidentally breaks the thread he's been tugging on. "You can't save everyone."

I nod and sit back. "You're right no one can save everyone. Edward, I think you should stop worrying about Emmett, if he gets out of school and he wants to join the army we can all sit down and talk about it." I try to reassure him. "I also think that maybe you should talk to Jack before you pass judgment on him."

Edward makes a terrible face at the idea.

"Would it change your mind if I told you he was injured while helping civilians?" I try to keep my tone and my temper even but it's hard with sometimes when he's being stuborn.

"I didn't know." Edward says and I detect a bit of an apologetic timbre in his voice.

He needs to learn to not judge people as finitely as he does.

"I know you didn't know. I think you should practice asking questions, like 'Emmett, what do you think about the army' and 'Rose, would you like to listen to my music with me?' and 'Mom, would you like me to do the dishes?' before you start thinking you know everything everyone is thinking." He nods and I'm not sure but I hope that something has gotten through to him.

I leave him to think and to pick up all the records and album sleeves he has flung all over the floor.

I'm going to go back downstairs and read a book, maybe listen to some of my music and wait up for my other two children to get home.

* * *

I have Sunday's off but it's not uncommon for something to bring me into work. Today is starting off as a beautiful clear morning and I hope, as I make a quick visit to my office and then head to the Hospital, that I'll be able to look over Jack's medical records and get home to my family before the whole day is gone.

To my delight the medical mail courier has delivered the records early this morning.

I find an empty conference room and make myself comfortable.

I am surprised to find there are four files in the package. When I pull them out of the envelop a hand written note from Dr. Knox falls to the floor.

Picking it up and I see it says rather ominously 'Hope you can help him better than I could. P. Knox'

I set the note over to the side and start looking through the files. First is Jack's mother Odette Whitlock, born 1933 died 1960, 5'3'' brown hair with green eyes. Died of a heart related complications. No allergies. She was in the care of Dr. Knox twice while giving birth to two sons before her heart problems started

Then his father Rodney Whitlock born 1928 died 1963 5'9'' blond hair blue eyes. Died of heart related complications. No allergies. Had to have his wisdom teeth removed but there is no mention of a reaction to any of the drugs used.

It does stand out to me as curious that both parents died from unspecified heart problems, but that's not what I'm looking into today.

The next file is for a Jasper Whitlock, Jack's brother. The file says he was born in 1954. He has blond hair, green eyes and he was 5'5'' when he was last officially measured. For better or worse again no allergies are listed. It was identified that he was color blind in 1963 just before his father died. The file names his legal guardian as Maria Whitlock.

He is listed as seeing the doctor for five broken fingers, fractures in both wrists and six broken ribs over the years. He was knocked unconscious in 1968 and had a concussion. He also sprained his wrist and his ankle at one time or another. Jasper has a painful and impressive rap sheet.

I wonder where he and Maria Whitlock are now and why they aren't listed as next of kin for Jack.

The last file is Jack's. Jackson Whitlock was born in 1952 he was 5'10'' at last measurement and has brown hair with blue eyes. Again no allergies are listed. Maria Whitlock is also named as Jack's guardian, I wonder if she is their aunt.

Jack had to have Dr. Knox take care of four broken toes, two broken fingers, a broken thumb, his right shoulder being dislocated, and a sprained elbow over the years.

I don't see anything else of interest as I look through the pages, the chicken pox, the flu, an ear infection.

I close the folder and start to make a note about the lack of allergies in the medical history, when I stop.

It dawns on me that something I read didn't sound right.

The xrays that I looked at yesterday were of a man five feet eight inches tall, with healed brakes in his fingers, wrists, and ribs. Not his toes, fingers, and a thumb.

Something is wrong. I open both brothers' files back up and look at their papers side by side. The younger of the two, Jasper is listed as breaking his wrists, fingers, and ribs. He has blond hair and was 5'5''. Jack is listed as having Brown hair and blue eyes and is 5'10''. That doesn't make sense.

The Jack I'm treating is 5'8'' with blond hair and green eyes and an old scar at his hairline.

Jasper was treated for a head injury.

I flip through the pages a couple times. I am fairly certain that this isn't a filing mix up. The papers all seem in order and everything is labeled.

I sit for a second and trying to understand what this might mean.

I know the photo in my patient's Military file is of the young man I'm suppose to perform surgery on in two days. So I do not think that this is a case assumed identity for medical treatment.

I believe, that would mean based on what I've seen this morning, that the soldier I am treating is Jasper Whitlock and not Jack Whitlock.

Which brings to mind all kinds of questions, first and foremost…

Why?

I sit a second pondering just that. It occurs to me quickly that I have lots of questions and no answers.

But I know who does.

I close up the files and place them in my briefcase. I straighten my tie and button my suit jacket.

I leave to conference room the way I found it, neat with all the chairs pushed in.

I walk down the hall passed the nurse's station, some of the nurses say hello to me, and I nod to them but keep walking.

I am on a mission.

I come to room 121 and start to go in but I stop in the doorway. The morning light is just coming in the window and both Alice and my patient are still asleep.

I think better of going in and confronting the sleeping young man. Instead I chose to stand and look at him; as if the answers will be written on his face.

If this young man is Jasper and not Jack then that makes him 17 and not 19. As I look past the scars and the wounds and examine his face his young features become glaringly apparent.

If he's 17 that would make him the same age as Emmett and that would mean he's a minor.

That would mean I need to contact his guardian Maria Whitlock for permission to perform the surgery.

The idea is an unpleasant one. I would hate to have to postpone the surgery waiting on consent from a guardian when he's already been through so much.

If I go ahead and do the surgery on Tuesday with no consent, and it comes back that I knew he is a minor I could be sued and loose my license to practice medicine.

But he came to me as Sergeant Jack Whitlock wounded vet of the U.S. Army and the Army has already given him medical treatment without the consent of a guardian.

But if he's run off somehow, she might be worried, she may have been worried now for two years.

If he ran away that could explain why no one was listed for his next of kin.

But what was he running from? Perhaps he was running from the cause of all those broken bones.

I can't jump to conclusions, I won't. I shake my head and try to determine what should be done.

Jack or Jasper looks like he in pain even while he sleeps. He moans softly and his hand moves under the blanket to grip his right leg.

This is too much, I need some air.

I turn and walk straight out of the hospital. Once I'm in my car my thoughts come rushing back to me.

If it were one of my children who'd gone missing, I'd want to know. I'd certainly want to give consent if they needed medical attention.

I put the key in the ignition and start the car.

I think the only right thing to do is to call Maria Whitlock and get this sorted out.

TBC…

Thank you for Reading and Reviewing. :)


	19. Sunday Dinner

**Alice**

Jasper has been asleep for most of the day. The nurse who came by did not seem to be worried by the fact that he was still asleep at three this afternoon.

She made a couple of jokes like "If you can't sleep while you're in the hospital, when can you sleep?" I didn't laugh, it didn't seem like a very funny joke to me.

I asked if Dr. Cullen would be coming by but the nurse said today is his day off ; that he'll be called if anything looks like an emergency.

Right an emergency.

I sit next to Jasper's bed and start reading one of the comic books the Cullen boys left, this one is about Batman and a villain who is a psychologist who uses fear to torture. I put the comic down; I don't think I want to read that one.

Jasper keeps moaning in his sleep. I wish he would have taken something for the pain. It's an unnerving sound I want to help him but I know a hug won't fix this. I rub his arm trying to offer some comfort but he tenses instead of relaxing at my touch.

I wish he'd just wake up.

Of course when you wish you never know what you're going to get. At 3:38 Jasper sat jolt upright with a cry.

I jump and toss the magazine I'd been reading.

Jasper is breathing heavy like he's been running a marathon. I reach out and touch his shoulder, he's sweaty.

"Hey Jazz." I say softly running my hand up and down his back.

I can feel him trembling. "Did you have a bad dream?"

He turns his head towards me but he doesn't look me in the eyes, he's I can hear his breath catch in his throat. "Alice I think we need to leave." He draws softly.

My hand stops on the small of his back. "What? Why?" why would he say that?

He is about to answer me when Nurse Uley comes in, she must have heard our commotion.

"Mr. Whitlock it's good to see you're up, how do you feel? Are you hungry, you missed lunch." As Nurse Uley moves into the room and gets closer Jasper is still breathing heavy and I see the color drain from his face.

He starts to answer her questions but stops abruptly.

Nurse Uley's eyes get wide and she snags a near by plastic container and all but throws it in Jasper's lap before he starts throwing up.

For the second time in ten minuets Jasper makes me jump. I didn't expect him to that.

It doesn't take long. I suppose there isn't much in his stomach to come up. He coughs a couple times and pants a bit.

"Are you finished?" Nurse Uley asks. Jasper nods and lays back with a wince and a small cry of pain. The small nurse takes the container and places a new one by the bed on the rolly table thing. "I'll bring you some water and something for nausea." She seems a little annoyed.

I guess if I had to clean up throw up for a job I'd be a kinda annoyed too.

"Are you alright?" I brush his hair off of his face. A tear comes to the corner of his right eye and threatens to run down his cheek. He looks me in the eyes finally and I can see he's scared.

I start to ask of what and the nurse reappears carrying a tray. Jasper shuts his eyes and squeezes my hand.

Her timing is really not convenient for me today.

"Are you going to be sick again?" She asks as she sits the tray on the table. Jasper shakes his head but doesn't open his eyes.

"I don't think he is." I answer for him, trying not to appear rude. Nurse Uley gives me a cranky look.

"Have him take these with water." She holds up a little cup with some pills and a small plastic cup of water. "They'll help his stomach. I've also brought some crackers and ginger ale, just have him go slow. Supper will be brought in, in a bit." She explains and then leaves us alone.

I patted Jasper's hand and he lets his death grip on mine ease up. He opened his eyes.

He pushes him self up into a sitting position and I hand him the pills and the water. He looks at them for a long time. "Take them." I prompt. "You'll feel better."

"No I feel better now." He says with a horse voice and sets the pills and water the back down.

"Will you at least have some of this?" I pop the top on the ginger ale can and hand it to him.

**Jasper**

Everything hurts and my stomach is rolling. I'm scared, every fiber in my body is screaming that we need to get out of here.

The soda that Alice has handed me is cold and heavy in my hand, the carbonation stings my tongue. Alice opens a pack a crackers and offers them to me but I really don't want them.

She gets an angry look on her little face, I can't help but think it's cute. "Jasper Whitlock." She hisses at me under her breath. "You have to eat. You're having surgery in less than a day and a half and I think you weigh less than you did when you got here. Please eat." She holds out the crackers to me again.

"Alice we need to leave." I hate to disappoint her.

"No." She looks at me straight in the eye.

"Alice you don't understand Dr. Cullen is calling Texas, and when he does people are going to come looking for me." I try to explain the urgency.

"No." She again says sternly.

"No what?"

"No everything, Jasper I love you and no one is going to hurt you as long as I'm here."

I don't know how to respond to the words coming out of this tiny young woman. She is beautiful when she's passionate but her stubbornness could become dangerous.

"You're getting surgery and you're going to be better." She says with confidence.

"He won't do the surgery." I inform her.

"Why do you say that?" Now her expression changes and her stubbornness wavers.

"A couple of reasons." I start but she stops me with a shake of her head before I get into specifics.

"Please relax and think positively. You're probably just nervous." She sounds like she trying to convince both of us with her words.

She sits down on the bed with me and sets the ginger ale aside. She puts her arm around my shoulders and her fingers lace with mine. I take comfort in her closeness.

But try as she might she can't erase my fears.

* * *

Alice and Nurse Line are lecturing me about eating all the food I'm given. I nod but I'm not listening, I don't feel like eating. Instead I'm looking at the door wondering how far it is to the exit.

Of course I doubt they'll let me get up and walk out of here. Sneaking out is probably impossible some one is sure to be watching all hours of the day.

I think we're on the first floor not high up. If worse comes to worse I wonder if we could get out through the window and out. I don't know if the window even opens.

This room is really isn't ideal with only one entrance and exit.

Nothing about this is ideal.

If someone from Texas comes to get me I won't be able to get away again.

If Maria comes for me I probably won't even be able to scream.

"Jack, Jack are you listening?" Alice asks as she and the nurse stand over me with the plate of half eaten pasta I'd given up on.

I shift to sit up straighter to address them and am surprised when the small movement shoots a pain through my body that sets sparks flashing before my eyes.

I don't mean to but I feel myself make a crying noise.

I suck in a breath and grit my teeth, my eyes are squeezed shut but I still see the flashing.

When the wave of fire pokers that hit me recedes back to a dull ache I breathe in a shallow breath but I don't relax.

I don't want to move I even carefully open my eyes because I'm afraid to feel that blinding pain again.

Nurse Line is standing at the ready. "What hurts?"

"Everything." I speak through thin pale lips.

I look at Alice my little dark haired angel and all I can see is all the ways Maria can hurt me.

Nurse Line injects something into my IV. "What?" I turn sharply towards her.

"Just something to help you relax dear." What ever she injected works fast and I shake my head to try and clear it. It doesn't help I feel myself relaxing in into the bed. I glare at the nurse. I do not have time for this.

I look desperately at Alice, "be safe." Is all I can get out before the drug puts me under.

**Rosalie**

Last night Emmett wanted to see Escape from Planet of Apes or Support Your Local Gunslinger. I didn't really care to see either but anything was better than sitting at home especially with Edward deejaying for the whole house.

We saw the ape movie and now as we all sit at Sunday dinner Emmett is animatedly telling the whole story while Uncle Carlisle carves the ham and Aunt Esme serves her homemade macaroni and cheese.

Uncle Carlisle has been very quite today. I've seen him get this way before other surgeries. He likes to think things through.

Tonight though he seems to be extraordinarily preoccupied with this case. It's to bad he can't share what he's thinking about with us, I bet we could help him talk through it.

"And then Rose got scared and jumped and spilled all the popcorn." Emmett left no detail out of his retelling.

"It was a dumb movie." I argue, if I had some popcorn now I'd throw it at him. I push green beans around my plate.

"Be nice Rose." Aunt Esme insists. Emmett sticks his tongue out at me and Edward smirks. Uuuugg I think I need to escape from this planet of the apes.

"Aunt Esme are we going to go back to the hospital to see Alice and Jack again?" I ask while glaring at Edward.

Aunt Esme puts her napkin in her lap. "I was thinking about that, would it be alright to stop by tomorrow afternoon Carlisle?" Uncle Carlisle doesn't hear the question. He's sitting at the head of the table looking like he's deep in thought about whether or not to have applesauce.

Aunt Esme nudges him with her elbow. "Hey wake up." She smiles at him and he blinks and smiles back.

"What?" He gets a goofy look on his face like he knows he missed something.

"Would it be alright if we come by the hospital tomorrow afternoon to see Jack and Alice?" Aunt Esme asks again.

The look on Uncle Carlisle's face turns serious and his brows furrow for a second, then it looks like he relaxes. "Yes, I think that would be alright if you'd like to."

"We could take some flowers or balloons." I suggest. Aunt Esme agrees with me but Emmett doesn't.

"Guys don't want flowers and balloons Rose." Emmett says in his best tough guy voice.

"Oh yeah smart guy what would you take?" I ask, I don't think power tools and car magazines are appropriate.

Edward sets his water glass down with a thud. "You should give Jack a teddy bear he doesn't look much older than twelve." Edwards sarcastic tone is hard for anyone to miss. I'm surprised when Uncle Carlisle doesn't say anything about it.

"Dude what?" Emmett questions.

"Emmett don't call your brother 'Dude' at the table." Aunt Esme pipes up. "Edward please be respectful." she implores.

"Yes Mom." Edward concedes. "I was just making an observation."

"He is young." Emmett agrees as he shovels a big helping of mac and cheese into his mouth. I catch Uncle Carlisle's brow furrow again.

Everyone at the table gets uber-serious looks on their faces, then Edward cracks a suspicious smile. "I also noticed he looks amazing like Rose."

What in the world?

"What are you talking about?" I demand.

I don't look anything like Sergeant Jack Whitlock, he's too thin, too pale, has strange scars all over his arms and neck. He might have nice eyes if you could see them through the unruly hair hanging in his face. And so far I've seen him dressed in rages and a hospital gown.

I do not appreciate this comparison.

"He's got wavy blond hair and light eyes just like you Rose." Edward said innocently as he snickered at me.

"Yeah well you both have the same pained expression only yours is caused by the stick up your butt Edward." I shoot back.

"Both of you stop." Uncle Carlisle's strong voice comes from the end of the table.

"Sorry Uncle Carlisle." I quickly apologize, I know I let my temper get the better of me but I didn't mean to make anyone but Edward mad.

"Sorry Dad." Edward parrots. I narrow my eyes at him, he's such a brat.

Uncle Carlisle gets quiet again, I hope he's figuring out how to help Jack, it would be such a same for Jack and Alice to have come all the way from Philadelphia and for Uncle Carlisle to not be able to help him.

**Carlisle**

Child abuse is a deplorable thing. Often it is committed by desperate and malicious people. I have personally experienced its effects and have experience reading for the signs.

It's about one in the morning now as I sit in my office/library at home with only a desk lamp on for light.

I've been going over and back over everything in the Whitlock brothers' files since everyone dispersed after dinner. I think it's been nearly five hours now.

I keep rereading just to make sure I'm clear.

Jack is Jasper. I'm convinced of this.

I'm almost positive the injuries listed could have been caused by abuse. I know that both parents were gone relatively early in the lives of the brothers. That means that the abuse may have been caused by someone else, possible the guardian, this Maria person.

I have so many more questions than answers. Maybe I could call Dr. Knox again. He seemed well acquainted with the family.

Did he know that I was treating Jasper and not Jack when I called?

I'm aware that there's nothing I can do at one in the morning except mull over my options.

I feel like I've mulled enough.

I still think I need to try and contact this woman, their guardian.

I've decided to try to call Maria Whitlock tomorrow.

Just as I'm planing making the call the phone I'm looking at rings. The timing of it seems surreal but it's not uncommon for me to get a call from the hospital in the middle of the night.

Still Its shrill ring is too loud in the quiet house and I jump and grab the headset off the cradle just to make the sound stop. "Hello?" I speak into the phone.

"Dr. Cullen, this is Nurse Line. Jack Whitlock is missing." What she says resounds in my ear.

"And Alice?" I question plainly.

"She's here, she's upset."

"I'm on my way." I hang up the phone and turn off the lamp. Esme's is standing silhouetted in her nightgown at my office door.

"I have to go to the hospital." I explain.

"Be careful." her clear voice urges.

"Always dear." I kiss her good bye and head for the door.

TBC…

Thank you for reading and all your reviews!


	20. Missing

Enjoy...

**Carlisle**

There were no cars on the road in our small town in the middle of the night so I got to the hospital in record time. The parking lot is quiet as I swing the car into a parking space close to the entrance under a streetlamp.

Out of my car the air is brisk and there is a chill in it. I pull my long coat tight around me. My footsteps seem loud on the cold pavement. I would love to be home in my warm bed with my wife right now.

But my patient is missing. This isn't something I deal with every day. My adrenaline is pumping.

Did he get up and walk out? Did he want to disappear? Why would he want to do that?

An old adage comes storming to the forefront of my thoughts 'only the guilty run'. I bite my cheek to force the thought away. I need to remain objective.

I need to focus, the reason I'm here is to attend to my patient not to accuse him of something.

Our Hospital at Forks isn't huge but it is big enough for someone to disappear in, if they want to. I hurry through the front double doors and quickly flash my ID at the night guard.

I almost run smack into Nurse Line as I turn the corner heading to room 121. I catch her as the sudden surprise nearly takes her feet out from under her. "Oh thank goodness you're here doctor." She says when I get her steady again.

She looks absolutely frazzled. Her strawberry blond hair that she usually keeps neat and tight is sticking out from under her nurses cap in every angle.

"Has Mr. Whitlock been found?" I ask as she turns around and heads with me back to the room.

"No Doctor, at first we thought he couldn't have gotten very far, he was in a good deal of pain earlier and I gave him a sedative, he should have still been drowsy. I have the orderlies checking the other floors now."

"How long has he been gone?"

"He was there when I checked on my 12 o'clock rounds."

"Did Alice see anything?" We walk in to his room and Alice is sitting on the bed looking distraught, quietly crying.

"No, Doctor she says she didn't." Nurse Line informs me in a stern voice.

Alice jumps from the bed when I enter and straight into a hug. I try my best to comfort her for a minuet. As a doctor I learned quickly that sometimes people just need a hug.

Alice cries into my coat lapel. "Dr. Cullen, he… he said we had to leave." I pat her on the shoulder and slowly move her back and sit her down on the unmade bed. She sniffles as I pull back from her.

I hand her my handkerchief. "Why did he say that Alice?" I find it hard to believe that he would want to leave now when we're so close to getting him better.

"He's scared." She explains and she nervously starts wringing the handkerchief.

"Scared of what?" I press and Alice looks at me with big brown doe eyes but she doesn't say anything.

"It may help us find him, Alice." I explain. She gets an apologetic look on her face and my mind again wants to jump to a list of worst case scenarios.

"He has nightmares." Alice offers.

"About the war." I state.

"Yes, about the war and older ones too." She says cryptically in her small voice.

"Alright, thank you Alice." I smile at her reassuringly and take some time to look around the room. Not much looks out of place except: the IV line hanging unattached to my patient, the quilt from my house that has been flung back at the end of the cot, the window shade that is pulled up and slightly a skew, and a magazine that has fallen to the floor by the chair unnoticed.

Undisturbed next to the night stand sit the pair of sneaker that Jack wore when he was admitted.

I don't think he's intentionally run away.

"It's going to be alright Alice we're going to find him." I can see in her eyes that see believes me completely.

I turn back to Nurse Line who's been hovering between the room and the hallway. "Have the orderlies checked outside?"

"No, they haven't, I assumed that… How would he get…" She sputters as I move past her heading to the exit.

I hurry down the hall to the front entrance where I'd come in .

"May I borrow your flashlight?" I ask the night guard at the door and he hands it to me without question and I head out into the dark to see what I can see.

I walk around the side of the building where room 121 is located.

I've never, in all my years at Forks, spent a lot of time walking around the outside of the hospital. I haven't paid much attention before but the windows on the first floor are about six feet up and the ground underneath them is slopped probably to deter people from trying to climb in a window and steal things. It also makes climbing out of the window a treacherous endeavor.

It didn't take too long to locate room 121 and from the outside it was easy to see that the window had been opened and not shut all the way.

My goodness, the realization hits me; he may actually be out here.

I stand still for a minuet and listen. Most everything is still, then I hear him. Not more than thirty feet away my flashlight hits upon Sergeant Whitlock sitting on the ground leaning on the far side of an old oak tree.

I approach slowly keeping my flashlight low trying to assessing what state this young man is in.

I move closer to the building so I can see around the trunk of the big old tree, I get a better look at him.

He sits in the grass his shoulder and head leaning against the tree. His eyes are closed tight and in the moonlight he looks pale and clammy. He's holding his right side in pain. He is barefoot and wearing nothing but his green hospital gown.

As I step tentatively closer a twig snaps under my foot. His eyes open widely at the sound and he tries to back away from it instinctively but he doesn't get far, he bangs into a large tree root and stops abruptly with a strangled cry.

"Hey, Hey Jack." I exclaim rushing to his side now, not thinking about anything but his unintentional injuring of himself.

I kneel down by the thin young man. He's doubled himself over in pain. "Nurse! Someone! Help!" I yell back towards the hospital hoping someone will hear me.

Doubled over he is still trying to push himself away from me. I put my hand on his shoulder to try and ease his fears, he trembles under my touch.

He blinks at me like he can't get his eye's to focus, I can see the sedative is still affecting his system. "Hang in there son." I try to comfort him. I don't hear anyone coming and I don't want to scare him further by shouting again.

"Lieutenant?" He's he half asks.

"Jack it's me Dr. Cullen." I stand, take my coat off and drape it around him. I look back at the hospital. Shining the flashlight along the side of the building I am reminded that there is no entrance on this side, I'll have to get him up and around to the front or leave him and go get some orderlies.

"Put that flashlight out." Sergeant Whitlock's voice comes desperately from behind me. "Lieutenant, we're under attack are you trying to make us a target?"

We're under attack? I don't follow at first but it quickly comes to me. He's having a flashback.

I turn back to him and accidentally shine the light in his face. He throws his hands up to shield his eyes and I can see clearly in the bright light that his hand is bloody.

I drop down next to him. "What happened, where are you hurt?" I shine the light at his doubled up form and he backs away from it and up against the trunk of the tree.

"No." He squeaks.

Even with his path blocked he continues to try and get away from the light. I see now that his bloody right hand is holding his hip and only his left leg is moving. "Stop it's alright." I direct. "I need to see what's wrong."

"We're under attack Sir." He pleads with me. "Please." For his sake I turn off the flashlight.

My eyes adjust and in the moonlight I can see the shell shocked soldier has tear streaks down his cheeks.

I kneel down beside him. "Did this happen when you came out the window?" I move his hand aside. His gown is wet with a circle of blood where his hand had been.

He's look nervously out at the tree line behind the hospital and ignores my question. "I think I was hit sir, it all happened so fast." His glassy eyes meet mine.

"Hit by what?" I ask, while I try to get a look at the damage to his hip.

His eye's well up again and his voice sounded strained in his throat. "The Vietnamese woman I was escorting to the medical tent with her two sons, she had a bomb in the basket she was carrying, Sir. I didn't know; someone else searched her when she was brought on base. I should have searched her again I should have known.

As I was escorting them across the grounds the General's jeep was coming towards us, she ran out ahead to it, I called out after her. I tried to get her to stop. I didn't know what she was doing, sir. By the time I realized what she had it was too late, all I could do was try and cover the children. She blew herself up and the jeep. Then bombs and bullets started raining out of the jungle.

I think I caught shrapnel sir off of the General's jeep, maybe." He recounted the story bit by bit struggling with every detail, reliving the pain literally and emotionally.

"I think you may have soldier, I think we need to take you to see a doctor." I hope playing along will get him to cooperate with me.

By the look on his face I can see it doesn't. "The boys, sir, they need help more than I do. They're young, it wasn't their fault. Please they need help. They were hit."

You were young too soldier. I think with melancholy.

"They've already been taken to medical son. Now it's time for you to go." I start to lift him up off the ground. I think I can hear someone coming around the building now to help us.

I put his scarred left arm around my shoulders. Pulling him up to his feet he's practically boneless. The sedatives are still working. He can't even get his left foot under him. Luckily he's light. He groans and sucks in a breath as we start moving. Every step we take probable jars his new injury.

I'm in pretty good shape so I'm moving him along pretty well. We get nearly to the end of the building when two orderlies come around the corner towards us.

They are just dark figures behind bright flashlights.

They start jogging to us and Jack's expression goes from pained and drowsy to tormented and frightened in less than two second. He breathing quickens, as if he might hyperventilate and he tenses his hold body.

I stop. I don't want to force him to move forward and risk hurting him. "Jack it's alright they're here to help you." I try to assure him. I've still got him up and am holding him wrist and the ribs but he's weakly trying push away from me as they get closer.

"no, no, no, no…" he is chanting under his breath.

"Here, Dr. Cullen I'll take him." The closer of the two large orderlies, Mr. Pearson offers.

"I don't want to go back!" Jack shouts and tries weakly to pull his hand away as the orderly changes places with me.

"Jack stop." I want him not to struggling. The other orderly takes his other arm. They easily lift him but he's still squirming and fighting against them so they move slowly to the entrance.

I can see new tears making tracts down his cheeks, Alice was right he is scared. "Soldier you have to stop struggling." I insist. He's only hurting himself further at this point.

"Please I don't want to go back." He says exhausted.

"We need to get you to emergency." I explain, I'm certain that he's still bleeding. We need to determine the severity of the injury.

He grits his teeth and keeps his eyes closed as orderlies carry him through the front door and lay him out on a nearby gurney. Nurse Line appears by my side with Jack's chart as we roll our patient to the emergency wing. "Where was he? How did he get out?" She asks befuddled.

"Through the window. Please make a note in his chart in large letters, No Sedatives and Nurse Line, please tell Alice that we found him and we're taking care of him now."

We roll him through the doors to the emergency wing and suddenly there are ten doctors and nurses surrounding us, it must be a slow night in the Forks ER. My patient has his eye's shut tight, his lips pursed, and his hands clenched in fists. He's make a small humming noise and I can see the blood on his gown that was about the size of his palm has grown.

"Where did you find your patient Dr. Cullen crawling through the woods?" Dr. Massey asks genuinely observing how dirty and scrapped up Jack looks under the bright fluorescent hospital lights.

"Yes." I state and roll Jack into an open exam room, "I need two nurses and Dr. Massey you can join me." I instruct. The tall dark haired surgeon and two ER nurses join the orderlies and me in moving the patient from the gurney to the exam table.

Jack continues closing himself off as we get to work.

"The patient is scheduled to have surgery to remove shrapnel from his leg, hip, and arms on Tuesday. He went out his window tonight and has injured himself." I explain as the nurses work deftly getting a new IV ready.

As one of the nurses takes hold of his arm, Jack pulls away. One of the orderlies takes hold of his shoulders so he can't move any further away from the nurse and off the table. Jack starts to panic again.

"Get a sedative nurse." Dr. Massey instructs as he would for any other patient.

"No don't." I stop her. "He's already having a bad reaction to one now." I move to look Jack in the eyes. "I need you to calm down Sergeant. You need to let the nurses give you an IV and you need to let us check you over." I don't think he's hearing anything I'm saying. His eyes are moving wildly around the room. He reminds me of a caged animal.

He's eyes stop on the back of a dark haired ER nurse and he starts shaking his head. "No. no no no." His hand reaches out and grips my arm weakly.

"Should we restrain him doctor?" The other orderly asks pulling the straps out from under the table.

"No." I stop him that won't help anything.

"Carlisle." I turn back towards Dr. Massey. He's pulled a sheet up over Jack's legs and pelvis and has pulled back his gown revealing the laceration.

There is something sharp looking sticking out of his hip.

I look back down at my patient, he is quiet. He's finally focused. He's scrutinizing every move the dark haired nurse is making. "Jack." I touch his arm but he doesn't respond.

The nurse approaches the table again with a newly prepped IV and Jack starts squeezing my arm that he's gripping. "Jack." I try again but he doesn't take his eyes off her.

"Nurse, step back." I keep her from coming any closer.

"Doctor?" She questions and I understand she's just trying to do her job.

I kneel down and try to catch the Sergeant's eye. "Jack…" I start and then think again. "Jasper." This time he looks at me. That's what I thought, God help me.

"Son, we need to get you into an Operating Room now and remove this shrapnel." He looks at me with fear in his eyes but a more lucid fear somehow. I've made my decision Jack or Jasper I'm performing the surgery tonight.

"Alice." He only speaks her name but I know what he wants to say.

"She's fine, we'll send someone to get her." He looks at me for a second and I think it's as if he's seeing me for the first time. Then his eyes close again and he's still.

"Nurse find another nurse to take your place, please, someone with light hair." I instruct the dark haired nurse. "Start getting him prepped." I tell the orderlies and the other nurse. "Come with me Dr. Massey I'll show you his xrays."

TBC...

Thank you for reading and reviewing. If anything is a glaring error send me a message and I'll try to fix it, I'm trying to get these up as fast as I can. I'm excited to see what happens next too.


	21. Missing Part 2

**Alice**

I'm almost running now, trying to keep up with the nurse. She is moving quickly and is making left turns and right turns and seems to know exactly where she's going when all I can think if that this hospital is like a maze.

She told me when she came to the room that they found him and that he's being readied for surgery.

My heart jumped into my throat and it's still there.

I can imagine all the terrible things that might have happened to him.

Ever since I woke up and he was missing I've been crying or close to crying. I didn't mean to and I did everything I could to try and pull myself together but nothing has worked.

I kept thinking about him being alone. How he had no one to take care of him. I kept thinking about the pain he must be in. How I was helpless to help him. How much I missed him. I felt guilty for being angry with him for putting me in this predicament.

The tears are threatening to fall again but I'm trying to hold them back. Also now my nose wants to run which is so very inconvenient I don't know where Dr. Cullen's handkerchief went to, maybe I dropped it.

We go through a pair of double doors and suddenly the nurse slows down and talks to another nurse for a second. The other nurse points down another hall and the nurse I've been following asks me to follow her once more.

"It won't be long now till they take Mr. Whitlock in, but Dr. Cullen has given permission for you to sit with him until they're ready." The nurse leads me back to a large cold room with curtain dividers.

We move into the room and the nurse move one of the curtains aside and reveals Jasper.

He is laying flat on the bed with his eyes closed, as a gray haired nurse moves around him checking monitors and wires. He's got all kinds of wires coming out of him from all different angles.

"You can go in." The nurse who led me here prompts. I hadn't realized until she said something that I hadn't moved since she pulled the curtain back.

I move in a step and the older nurse who has been working on Jasper comes close to me and whispers in the narrow curtain room. "Try not to get him work up."

I nod in agreement to her request. I try not to look too much like I'm in shock but it's like every noise is louder and every move I make is slower like I'm moving through water. I just try to act normal but this is very out of my comfort zone.

He looks miserable as slide in next to his bed. They've been trying to clean him up but he's got dirt and blood all over him still. I can see the streaks on the side of his face where tears fell while he's been laying down.

I slide my hand into his and he opens his one eye and looks up at me for a long moment.

"hey." I say evenly and smile at him, I wonder if the smile reaches my eyes or if he knows it's fake.

He tries to return my smile but it only makes a tear slide down his temple.

"Hey, you're alright." I squeeze his hand trying to let him know I'm here and that I love him in one small gesture.

He breathes in with a shutter and I can feel my eyes getting hot and my nose starting to drip. I whip my face with my sleeve so I won't be a soggy mess.

"I'm sorry." He breaths out.

"It's alright Jazz." I just wished I'd been there to keep you from hurting yourself. Why didn't you wake me up? Thoughts race through my head.

"I'm sorry for worrying you." He looks so guilty, I want to tell him not to feel that way but I'm sure he won't listen.

"Yeah I'm sorry you had me worried too. You had me thinking all kinds of scary things. I'm gonna sock you a good one for that when you get out of this hospital, bud." I shake my fist at him jokingly, but I'm serious about being scared.

This has been one of the scariest nights of my life and I've had a few to compare it to.

"ha." He starts to chuckle at me but holds back because it hurts. "oooohh" He needs to not get worked up, whoops.

"What happened?" I need to hear it from him.

"I think I went out the window and fell." He coughs slightly and groans.

"Why?" Were you really trying to leave? I ask silently hoping he can read my thoughts.

"I think I was having a dream…" He squints in concentrations as he tries to recall. "We were in danger and I was trying to save us. I know I don't like those drugs they keep giving me" He scowls at the ceiling.

He was trying to save us? He was alluding to trouble earlier but is it real or is it some sort of paranoia brought on by stress?

"Are we in danger Jas…" I start to ask but am unable to finish as Dr. Cullen enters the small room.

Jasper doesn't take his eyes off me even as nurse, orderlies, and Dr. Cullen busy themselves with him.

"we might be." He answers my unfinished question and squeezes my hand.

Dr. Cullen instructs us to say our goodbyes and we do I kiss Jasper on the cheek.

He squeezes my hand once more and then the orderlies roll him away.

"This might take a while, but we'll get him fixed up." Dr. Cullen says in his most comforting doctor voice before he turns and follows the orderlies.

I sit down in the one chair in the narrow room, alone. Every nerve ending in my body is tingling. I prepare myself for another long wait.

TBC…

This is short, sorry, I wanted to post it now and not drag this chapter out any more. I had the weirdest and most scary life imitating art experience yesterday. I was writing this chapter about Alice going to Jasper in the ER and then I got a call that my Boyfriend had wrecked his bicycle and an ambulance was taking him to the ER. Oh my gosh I was an hour away from him with no other information, scariest hour of my life. It was my first time in an ER and I was tingling and trying not to cry, it was a very long night. He broke his nose and got all skinned and bruised up, he should be fine.

I think I'm going to continue the next chapter on a happier note. OMG


	22. wrapped up

**Alice**

At least I know where he is; which is more than I had three hours ago when I'd woke up and he was gone.

I know Jasper is in Surgery with Dr. Cullen. I just don't know how he's doing. It seems like it's been a time long since any of the nurses came by to say anything to me.

The one young nurse who'd brought me out to the waiting room told me that Doctor Cullen had gotten started and that he seemed confident that he'd get Jack all fixed up.

She couldn't tell me how long the surgery would take; no one seemed to know how long it might be.

I stare at the clock on the wall like it might reveal something if I looked at it long enough. Maybe if I glare at it hard enough it will hurry up and this night will be over and Jasper will be better.

I strongly dislike waiting.

If I wasn't so tired I might be pacing. As it is I'm huddled in an uncomfortable position on an uncomfortable chair somewhere between restless anxiety and drowsy unconsciousness.

I shiver. It's freezing in here even with this pretty lavender sweater on.

I wrap my arms around my middle.

They must have the temperature low so the nurses and doctors don't fall asleep on night shift.

Looking around the waiting room is bare and empty, there is no one here but me and the nurse manning the desk this late or rather this early.

The cold clinical feel of this room reminds me of another hospital I spent a lot of time in; though it had been bigger and older and the people were not nearly so nice.

Oh my, I need to stretch, my foot is falling asleep and there's a kink in my neck. I need to warm up or they're going to have to thaw me out next time anyone comes around with news.

This has been the longest night of my life. I can't wait for it to be a new day.

**Carlisle**

I've done all that I can do. "That's it everyone, good work, thank you." I say as the last stitch is placed. It's been a long process but we got all the shrapnel we could locate in his hip, thigh, and forearms.

The nurses start the clean up and bandaging and I step away from the patient for the first time in five hours.

"Nice Work Dr. Cullen." Dr. Massey comments as He removes his surgical mask. "It's not every day you get to work on a human pin cushion."

I bristle slightly at his off color remark but he can't see me frown through my mask. I strip off my gloves, gown, and mask and hand them to a waiting nurse and move to the sink to clean up.

"I've never seen the effect of shrapnel in the body for an extended period before, that was a bloody mess wasn't it?" Massey talked while I washed. He was young and enthusiastic and good at what he did but he's not yet learned that there is a time and a place for things.

"There was quite a bit of damage." I agreed. The large shard of metal that had punctured out through his skin had been inside Sergeant Whitlock tearing, grating, and chipping his bone and muscle around it. Scar tissue had been building around all the fragments in his body. It had been a challenge to try and pick out the tinier piece and to cut the larger pieces free without damaging anything vital.

It's a miracle that no major blood vessels or organs were damaged during the initial injury or during his surgery.

"What do you think his recovery projection is? I think with damage like that he'll probably not walk again without medication. The looks of him I'd say he's probably already medicating." Massey leaned on the sink. "Oh well what can you do? It is a shame all the young men being torn apart by the war and being left with no hope."

"He's a fighter." I put the towel I'd been using down and stand up straight and look down at Massey.

"You haven't talked with him," I begin levelly. "He isn't on drugs, and he came all the way across the country to find help. My help and I'm going to do everything in my power to see that he has the best chance at recovering he can. It may be a tough but I believe he'll take on the challenge."

Massey expression is a bit less glib, a little less casual, and much more humble. "Well I'm glad to hear all our heard work won't have been in vain. Good Luck to you and your patient Doctor."

**Esme**

"Emmett it's time to get up…" I knock on his bedroom door a little louder than I had before. "No, I'm not kidding, get up and get dressed Mister." I started move on to Edward's room when Rose flies past me into the bathroom nearly knocking me over. "Well, excuse me."

"Sorry Aunt Esme, I am having a baaddd hair day." She calls from in front of the mirror.

"Well don't spend so much time on it that you don't eat, you know breakfast is the …"

"…Most important meal of the day, I know, I know." I can just barely make out over the roar of a blow dryer.

I sigh at her reaction, and shake my head. Oh to be young and 16, my biggest concern my hair…

"Edward, are you up?" I knock on his door and nearly instantly it opens.

"Good morning Mom." He's dressed and ready as he leaves his room which I can see has been picked up since he's stint as house disc jockey.

"Good morning Edward." I smile; maybe we'll get thoughtful and polite teenage Edward today.

"I'm going to go get some breakfast." He slid past me his book bag in hand. "That's a good idea." I turn and head towards the stairs. I bang on Emmett's door as I pass. "Get dressed Emmett." I can hear him grumbling inside, but I know he'll be down in time for breakfast, Emmett never misses a meal.

Edward is already in the kitchen pouring milk on his cornflakes. He is quick when he wants to be. He gets a juice glass down from the cabinet. "Would you like some orange juice?"

"Yes thank you." He pulls another glass down, and pours juice for both of us.

He hands me mine and moves to put the carton back in the refrigerator. "So do you know what the call last night was about?" He asks casually.

Aaahhh so a polite and prompt Edward is a nosy Edward. I should have known.

Ever since he was little he's tried to know everything that everyone is doing around him. He is usually up on Carlisle and my appointments and he knows when Rose and Emmett have tests or projects due.

I've thought in the past that he must be snooping but over the years I've come to discover he's just acutely observant and occasionally as good at giving the 3rd degree as a g-man with a grudge.

"The call was about one of your father's patients." He started to open his mouth to ask another question but I cut him off. "No I don't know which one."

Edward nodded a he pushed his cereal around in the bowl. "Have you heard from him yet this morning?"

"No I haven't, not yet." I held my orange juice tight. I am a doctors wife i know that and I know that that means he has to be on call and often rush away at a moments notice, that doesn't mean I like it or that I sleep well when he's called in in the middle of the night.

Edward is quiet and pensive. I'm sure he's thinking the same thing I am, if Carlisle hasn't been able to come home or even call yet it must have been a serious emergency last night.

I hear Emmett on the stairs, he's just made it in enough time to grab something to eat before all the the children have to leave to get to school on time.

He'd still pulling his t-shirt on when he gets to the kitchen. He grabs Edward's glass and drinks some of his juice and sighs loudly as if he's satisfied.

He starts digging through the pantry and then moves to rummage through the refrigerator.

"Hey," He turns back to me holding chicken leg. I give him a stern look, I do not like being called 'Hey'

"I mean, Aunt Esme," He says in that aww shucks manor of his that is so charming. "The call last night... Mr. Johnson didn't break his hip did he doing his late night calisthenics?" Emmett snorted amused and Edward snickered.

I couldn't help myself but smile. "You stop that, Mr. Johnson is a nice old man even if he is a bit eccentric."

**Carlisle**

"I'm sorry Doctor, we checked the waiting room, the restroom, the cafeteria, and the patients room. We can't seem to find her." Nurse Davis explains while we stand in the waiting room where Alice was last seen.

I rub my hand over my face and try not to sigh with frustration. All I want to do is tell Alice that Jasper came through the surgery well, but none of the nurses can seem to find the young woman.

"Thank you nurse." I dismiss her and look around the waiting room. The sun is just starting to come up. I wonder if Alice left the hospital. I found Jasper outside last night, I entertain the idea of going outside to look for her but only for a second.

I'm sure she hasn't gone for good, I can't believe she'd be far from Jasper for long.

I resolve to check on my patient in recovery before I make my own search for Alice.

I walk down the hall and around the corner to the recovery ward. I'm so busy thinking to myself and not seeing whats around me that I nearly miss the mound of orange tucked into the corner of a deep doorway.

In fact I stop and back up to get a better look.

"Oh my." I sigh quietly. Alice was wrapped in the orange quilt from our house a couple doors down from recovery.

"Alice." I crouch down by her and put a hand on her shoulder. Her head turns slightly towards me and she mumbles something, the words are incoherent but the meaning is clear.

"He's doing well, he's resting and I think it's time you were too." I say softly to her. "Come on." I put my arms under her knees which she had pulled up to her chest and put the other behind her back and then lift Alice, the blanket and all up.

I carry her through the double doors into the recovery ward. Instantly there were nurses around us.

"You found her Doctor."

"Is she alright?"

"Where did that ugly orange thing come from?"

"She's fine just exhausted." I assure them. "I just need a bed..." I look around the recovery ward for an appropriate place to lay here.

"This way." One of the recovery nurses prompts and she ushers me down the ward.

She directs me to an empty bed.

I lay Alice down, slip off her shoes and cover her up with the warm old orange quilt.

She mumbles softly in her sleep but doesn't seem to wake up.

I step back from the bed, the nurse smiles at me and then moves and pulls back the dividing curtain.

Jasper lays sleeping on the next bed over.

I smile to myself. I'm surprised at just how relieved I feel at having both of them together safe.

TBC...

Happy New Year. I hate to tease but this is what I was able to get done over the holidays. I'm heading back to grad school now and I'm not sure when I'll be able to write. I have outlined what's going to happen next, so that's promising. Thank you for reading and being enthusiastic. I'm enthused myself and I really want to get to some action.


	23. Recovery

**Nurse Mair**

When I got to the hospital to start my day shift this morning, the nurses were abuzz. Apparently there had been quite the commotion with Doctor Cullen's mystery patients last night, including disappearances and emergency surgeries. The night shift nurses happily related to the day shift on their way out.

Now it's my job to watch the two of them in the recovery ward. Not surprisingly they are both still asleep. He is hooked up to the monitors and I go about my work, keeping one eye on the two of them.

**Esme**

I don't usually design nurseries, for personal reasons. It's just something that's made me uncomfortable for a long time; even when I'm trying to be professional.

I love children. As a child I dreamed of having lots of babies of my own.

I suppose the dream of have lots of children came from growing up without siblings. I was raised alone by my aging grandmother. She was a wonderful caregiver but not so much a playmate.

Flipping through a sample book of fabrics for a baby's room I feel overwhelmed by different emotions.

I would not have taken this job if a long time client hadn't asked me too.

I run my hand across the extra soft fabrics. I can almost smell the baby powder now.

I am in love with the pattern with little elephants. I don't think it's what my client wants, but it something like what I was going to design my baby's room with. I think that little baby elephants are so cute and with light pinks or blues, almost too cute.

I can see the lovely little room I'd dreamed about so many years ago. There would have been a white crib with my grandmother's rocking chair close by.

I never got that room.

I got my three wonderful children instead.

My musings are interrupted by the phone ringing.

I sigh and close the large book. I'm thankful for the needed distraction.

"Hello." I pick it up mid ring. "Cullen residence, Mrs. Cullen speaking."

"Esme" I hear Carlisle voice on the other end.

"Carlisle, are you alright? I was wondering when I would hear from you."

"I'm fine dear, everything is going well. If you're not busy I need to ask a favor." I am please to hear he sounds upbeat.

"You sure have been asking for a lot of those lately." I retort with a chuckle.

"I know I owe you."

"Yes and I think I'll collect in the form of a very nice dinner for two." I smile thinking about how much I love spending time in the company of my husband.

**Nurse Mair**

I pass by Mr. Whitlock's bed for checking on him for the tenth or so time this morning and finally his eyes are open. I move next to him and check his vitals. He is blinking at the ceiling.

"How are you feeling?" I ask touching his arm.

He looks groggy as he turns towards me. He starts to talk but stops and tries to swallow. I move to the table next to his bed, pour juice into a plastic cup and crank his bed up a bit so he is in more propped up and hold the cup out to him. He reaches out slowly and takes it.

"Sip it." I instruct and he does.

The cup barely leaves his lips before her name is on them. "Alice?" he simply questions.

I step aside and direct his gaze to the next bed over. I smile, his reaction is not what I expect but I probably should have.

At the sight of his friend laying on the next to him he starts to panic and groggily starts to get up to go to her.

"Whoa there cowboy." I put my hands on his shoulders and stop him from moving. "She's fine, just sleeping, hun." He looks unsure but lays back, his eyes drifting between Alice and me. "You caused quite a stir here last night."

"What?" he finally looks around and notices the bandages on his arms. "What happened?"

"Dr. Cullen's gotten you all fixed up." I smile warmly at him as he finds the bandage on his hip and thigh. "Just try and rest. Dr. Cullen will be in soon to see you."

**Carlisle**

I stop at the recovery nurses' desk and say good morning to some of the nurses. "Your patient is awake Dr. Cullen." Nurse Mair informs me. I'm glad to hear it.

"Is he come out of the anesthesia alright?" I inquire as we walk to Sargent Whitlock's bed.

"He's been a bit groggy but nothing out of the ordinary." Nurse Mair assures me.

I flash back to the events of last night. Remembering his fear and confusion had been palpable; I'd like to make sure that a repeat of that didn't occur if it could be avoided.

We reach his bed and he is indeed awake. He doesn't acknowledge our prescience at the foot of his bed; he is focused on Alice who is still asleep on the next bed over.

I pick up the chart attached to his bed and flip through it. Everything seems to be in order including the large note that the patient is not to be given any sedatives unless I am consulted first.

I move around the side of the bed closer to his line of site. Nurse Mair follows checking his IV and monitors. "How are you this morning Mr. Whitlock?"

He looks up at me slowly, his head lulling back onto the pillow in loose kind of way. He is definitely still feeling the effects of the anesthesia.

"Dr. Cullen?" The question was actually a relief; at least his mind is here now and not back in Vietnam.

"Yes." I nod and ask again. "How are you feeling?"

"I feel kinda funny." He slurs the words.

"That's to be expected. The feeling pass."

"Is Alice alright?" She is never far from his thoughts, is she?

"She's fine, just sleeping." I try to be reassuring.

"You did the surgery?" It's a question and he says it like he's surprised that it was actually done. It confused me slightly, had he thought that I was not going to do it?

He blinks slowly and tries hard to focus his green eyes on me; like he's trying to see the answer.

"Yes, we had to go ahead with the surgery last night after you were injured. I felt that doing as much as we could in one go would be the best in the long run. We'll have x-rays done to be sure but I believe that we got most if not all of the shrapnel out." It took lots of work on the part of the surgical team last night, we tried to be as thorough as possible, of course we are only human.

"Thank you." He is sincere, in his loopy state he can't help himself but be honest.

"You're welcome. Just rest for now. You'll be moved back to your room soon. We'll talk some more later." I know from experience with lots of patients that he most likely won't remember any of this conversation later.

**Alice**

I wake up when he say's my name. "Is Alice alright?" he asked. Am I alright? I'm better then alright, he's here and Dr. Cullen's fixed him. I blink back the sleep in my eyes and lay quietly as Jasper and Dr. Cullen talk.

I can see a bandages on neck, and wrapped around his forearms.

Maybe now he won't be so afraid. Dr. Cullen's done the surgery so Jasper doesn't have to be worried about anyone in Texas. I wonder what will be next for us now. I'm sure I'll see the answer soon.

The doctor leaves and Jasper's looks back in my directions. "hi." I whisper as our eye's meet.

"Heeeyyy." He draws as a goofy smile crosses his face. He's so cute.

**Emmett**

Aaahhh lunch, the best class period of the day. It's weird that our lunch period this term starts at 10:50. It seems kinda early, but I'm always ready for food so it doesn't bother me that much. Rose on the other hand is never hungry at this time of the morning.

Today she pushes the salad around her plate looking really bored. I've mostly got my eye on the piece of garlic bread she got with the salad but I wouldn't turn the greens down if she offered them. "Are you gonna eat that?" I ask innocently.

"Yes... maybe, I'm thinking about it." She glares at a tomato wedge she's speared with her fork. I'm glad I'm not that tomato.

I slather some of my fries in ketchup and start to eat. Edward looks up from the book he's reading . "Do you want some fries with your ketchup?" He jokes.

"eeewww Emmett." Rose nearly chokes on her Diet Coke.

"I like it this way." I lick the ketchup off my fingers, satisfied with my lunch and the fact that I've managed to gross out Rose with it.

Ed is sitting across from me gripping an apple in one hand and his book in the other. "What are you reading Man?" apparently it was so good Ed was going to read through lunch.

"I'm reading Slaughterhouse-Five by Vonnegut for my English class project."

Rose looks skeptically at Ed. "I don't remember that book being on Mr. Grace's reading list."

Ed smirks at Rose. "It's not, but I talked with Mr. Grace about how I felt this book is new and making a comment on our world today and he agreed to let me read this instead."

"You are such a suck up." Rose rolls her eyes and Ed goes back to reading.

**Esme**

When the phone rang in the middle of the night I hand a sinking suspicion that it was about Jack. Carlisle couldn't say anything at the time but when he called this morning and asked me to come in my suspicion was confirmed.

Now as I stand at the nurses station waiting for my husband the gossipy nurses want to tell me all about last night's drama. Apparently the commotion involved a patient who broke out a window and was running around the hospital grounds half crazed. My husband was a hero for talking the patient down out of a tree, or was it off of a window ledge? Carlisle then preforming an emergency operation outside in the dark before coming in and reuniting the patient with his distraught lover.

I chuckled quietly and shook my head at what I assume are wild exaggerations.

"Hello Dear." Carlisle came around from behind me and kissed my cheek. "Hello." I warmly greeted.

"Walk with me." he directed me away from the twittering of the nurses.

"Of course," I walk close to him, our steps fall quickly in sync. I ask quietly as other doctors and nurses bustle around us. "Are you alright? Is there truth in the story the nurses were telling?"

As we walked the look in his eyes told a complicated story, he was both happy and sad, confused and sure. "I'm fine." he says in a very serious tone.

"And the story..." I prompt.

"Based in truth." He nodded.

"My goodness Jack." I exclaimed softly and Carlisle looks surprised at my knowledge.

"How?" I can see Carlisle trying to go over everything he'd said trying to figure out what he'd said that gave it away.

"I had a feeling." An intuition. "How is he?"

"We had to operate last night. He's back in his his room now." Well that's something, he's well enough to be sent back to his room. Surgery is never an easy thing; emergency surgery even more so. I hope That Jack's pain will ease now.

I'm surprised to see that as we near the room Jack is in that Carlisle seems to be nervous.

Carlisle stops just before we reach the door and turns to me. "Esme, the favor I need..." He pauses for a second and seems to be thinking hard. "I need to speak with J...Jack. Could you take Alice to the cafeteria or the gift shop, something... I just need a little time alone... I don't want to spook them." I have a feeling that if I asked Alice to leave the room so I could speak with my patient privately it might make them nervous and I didn't want to inflict undue anxiety.

Of course it crosses my mind that maybe it was not so "undue".

**Alice**

Jasper has been sleeping for the most part since they moved him back to room 121. I've been sitting just watching him. I can't believe that the surgery is done and over. I'm excited I think things will be better for him, for us now.

My thoughts are interrupted by a soft knock at the door. "Good morning Alice." Dr. Cullen comes into the room and Mrs. Cullen follows him in. I can't help myself I leap from my chair and throw myself into Dr. Cullen, squeezing him in a big hug.

"Thank you Doctor," I just knew Dr. Cullen would help, even through Jasper's worries I knew that Dr. Cullen would help him.

"yeah, thanks Doc." Jasper's voice comes hoarsely from behind me. His accent is thick, I love that accent.

Moving to the bed I slip my hand into his. "You're awake!" I feel like jumping for joy but I don't because I don't want to hurt him. "How do you feel?" He smiles at me and I brush back the hair that's fallen in his face.

"I'm starting to feel an aching in hip." He says very matter of factly and he must have seen my happy expression fall because his tone changed quickly. "But it's a different ache, it's good." He tries to smile reassuringly but his grip tightens around my hand. I turn to Doctor Cullen hoping he can explain this "good ache".

"The shrapnel in your hip, broke through last night when you dropped from the window, effectively stabbing you form the inside out. It caused damage to the muscle, tissue, and bone. The team of surgeons and myself had to cut it and the other pieces of shrapnel out. You have lots of incisions and stitches that you're going to have to give time to heal. The damage done to your hip and leg are going to need extra attention. Time will tell if they will require physical therapy or additional surgery. For now I think we'll take it one day at a time." Dr. Cullen explains in a very personable way.

"When will I be allowed to leave Doctor?" Jasper asks pointedly and it makes me worry, it sounds a lot like his plan to run is in the works. I don't think that's the right thing to focus on right now.

I speak up. "Recovery will probably take some time, right Doctor?"

"I think we'll have him on his feet in no time, with your help Alice." It's not the answer I was hoping he'd give. Dr. Cullen smiles at me then turns to Mrs. Cullen who has been listening to all this very quietly.

She speaks up now in a warm charming voice. "That sounds like very good news to me. Alice dear, how about you an I go and get some lunch."

"I..." I start to answer and realize I don't know what I want to say. I'm hungry and Mrs. Cullen is so nice to ask me but I don't want to leave. I look down at Jasper.

He's more lucid looking then he has been in what seems honestly like a very long time. He still looks very tired though and I hate to leave him alone.

He nods at me and blinks slowly, I know what he means I should go. I expression his face has taken on is not entirely convincing though, he looks worried now, he hadn't looked worried before. I hesitate. He shakes my hand that he's holding gently. "Go, I'll be fine."

I bite my lip, I don't like this but I let go of his hand and let Mrs. Cullen put her arm around my shoulder and lead me out of the room.

"Come on lets find something good to eat." She says kindly. "then after that we can visit the gift shop and get maybe get some balloons, something to make the room more cheery. Do you think Jack would like a teddy bear?"

"Maybe," I shrug my shoulders. "I think he'd like that." I hope he'll be alright.

**Carlisle**

I get the feeling that he's worried to be alone with me and that makes me anxious. Makes me anxious for what I'm about to do. I close the door softly and move around to the side of the bed. His lips are tight and I can tell his jaw is clenched. His tension is radiating. I stand over his bed with all the authority I can muster. "I have some questions."

"Ok." he concedes, he does not shrink from my demand.

"You aren't who you said you are, what is your real name?" He closes his eyes and I can see his adam's apple going up and down as he swallows nervously. Still he some how seems to sit up straighter.

"Jasper Whitlock, sir." Now I'm the one swallowing nervously, this confirmation shakes me. I look at him again and he looks suddenly looks years younger to me then he did before.

"Why did you become Jack?" I continued. He sucked in a breath and his eyes drift away from mine.

"Jack was my brother." His eyes came back to mine, pain filled and willed me to understand what he meant. Jack was dead.

I stay silent and wait for the rest. "I had to get out and the army seemed the best way, Jack was 18 so I became him. No one questioned it til now." He said the last part a little quieter than the rest.

"Are you in some kind of trouble? Trouble with the law maybe?" This was a concern of mine, that he was a fugitive and possible dangerous. I watched him carefully for signs that he might be trying to lie.

"No sir, I'm not in trouble with the law. I didn't run from anything I'd done. We were just kids." The waves of despair that emanated from his words spoke volumes to their truth.

"Then isn't their someone I can call for you? Some family somewhere that would want to know?" At the mention of calling some one his nervousness turned to fear and he started to get agitated, bunching and pulling at the thin blanket at his finger tips.

"There isn't anyone, Dr. Cullen. There is no one left." His let out a breath and made a soft hissing noise. He wraps his arms around himself and looks at me. "There's only her."

He is terrified, his pupils dilate and he appears to be trying not to shake. I don't mean to push him like this, I feel terrible for making him go through what is an intense subject for him, but there is one more thing I need to know.

"Do you mean Maria?" He makes a sound between a sob and a whimper. A hand drifts up to the scar at his hairline seemingly subconsciously as he nodded. He trembles slightly.

"She's the reason...She... all of it... all of them" He rubs at his forehead, squeezes his eyes shut, and keeps his other arm wrapped around him defensively.

I can only image what he means by 'all of them' but the picture has been painted and shocking as the story is, it is clear to me that what is lying in front of me is a young man who was abused probably for years, whose situation was so bad that he went to war to escape.

Jasper is not the bad guy, he's the victim. I breath out and change my demeanor. "It's alright." I say softly and place a hand on his shoulder trying to be comforting. He flinches away from my touch reflexively. I should have expected that. "Thank you, I'm sorry we had to do that, really I am. But I needed to know so I can continue to help you."

He looks up at me and through his fear and pain I see he is skeptical. "I'm going to help you Jasper."

He coughs and chokes and sputters in disbelief. "But I lied."

"About your name and your age, not about being hurt or being in a war or needing help. I going to help you son." I don't try to touch him this time, instead I grip the railing of the bed. I've got a death grip on it, I'm so filled with indignation.

A tear slides don't his cheek and he's in capable of stopping it or the others that follow. He isn't sobbing they just seem to be falling out years of pent up fear and anxiety being released. He laughs or coughs I can't quite tell, breaths in and wipes the tears away with new resolve.

"Alright Doctor Cullen, if you think you want to try, thank you." He laid back and stared up at the ceiling. I let myself relax and sat down in the chair. We sit quietly both thinking I'm sure about what is coming next.

I ladies soon return baring balloons and a stuffed elephant that Alice apparently picked out for Jasper .

Jasper smiles at her, the fullest most genuine smile I've seen on him since we met. He seems to have recovered or at least put on a strong face for Alice and Esme.

I excuse myself from the room, I kiss Esme's cheek, she's been such a wonderful help. I assure her I'll be back in a bit. There is something I need to do.

The phone rings more times then I think it should if someone were there to pick it up. I'm about to hang up when I hear a voice finally answer on the other end. "Hello?"

"Dr. Knox, I wasn't sure if you were there or not. I'm glad I've caught you." There was not a reply for a long moment, and again I was left wondering if the man was going to talk with me.

Finally, he seemed to make a decision. "How is the boy?" He asks curtly.

"Physically I think he's going to be alright soon. Mentally and emotionally I think Jasper's got wounds that medicine just can't fix." I can hear, the man I picture to be an older white haired country doctor, sigh heavily. I know he knows that I know.

"I could only help him get so far out of harms way. I couldn't take the nightmares away. Believe me if I could have stopped that woman... God, the lives she's destroyed." regret filled his voice.

Now it's my turn to pause. "Doctor are you implying more than just abuse?" I ask.

"I am." He says again with a curtness that I'm taken aback by.

"What does that mean?" I mind jumped to the conclusion that my heart was not ready to process, so convinced of the goodness of people as I am.

"Maria Whitlock Bowman was taken into custody and charged with the murder of her second husband yesterday." Dr. Knox sounded very tired.

"My goodness, I can't believe..." I fumbled for words.

"Dr. Cullen I believe and I believe your patient will be convinced of the same, this is not Maria's first murder just the one that got her caught."

"Is there anyway, anything... How can I help Jasper?" I ask him as much as I ask myself.

"Well doctor, you better let the boy know that they'll be coming for him. This is a small town and after you talk to my receptionist the other day the whole town knows that someone was inquiring after one of the Whitlock boys. I image someone will want to find him and bring him home to testify..."

The doctor sighed again more heavily this time as if the wait of the world was coming down on him. "I delivered Jasper and his brother and his mother, Dr. Cullen. The Whitlocks were a kind and lovely family until that Maria woman came around. Now there is not a soul left but him and her. Tell him, if they find him that Peter says it's time to stop running and fight."

"I will Dr. Knox." I agree, nodding even though I know he can't see me.

"It's Peter Dr..."

"Carlisle."

"Nice to meet you Carlisle, I'll do everything I can so that we don't ever have to meet person." I know he means that he'll do everything he can to keep Jasper from having to go back to Texas.

"And I'll try and help him the best that I can. Do you think you can send his birth certificate, I think that would be a great help." He needs to go back to school and get a high school diploma.

"I'll try Carlisle." With that the conversation ends and we both say good bye and hang up.

I walk back to room 121 and stand in the doorway and watch as my wife and Alice and Sergeant Jasper Whitlock smile at some joke Alice has made.

Jasper looks ready to fall asleep again.

I wonder if he'll have nightmares, and if he does will they be of the war and the jungle or will they be of Maria.

Esme comes and joins me at the edge of the room. "What is it?" She asks knowing that something is on my mind.

"a long road to recovery."

"You'll help him." She says with so much conviction.

"I hope I can." I have a feeling this is going to be a long road with lots of twists, turns, and more then a few road blocks.

Authors Note: Hi, How's it going? I hope everyone is good. So yeah it's been awhile and well it because of lots of reasons. I'm sorry. If you are totally fed up with me you can consider this the end of the story, it's a pretty good ending I think, we know that Jasper is going to be alright, we know why he called himself Jack, and we know kinda what Maria did and that the Cullens are going to help him and of course Alice. I consider this the end of part one, I do envision a second half to this story, that maybe I can flesh out this summer. Anyway Thank you for reading, you've been a pleasure to write for.


	24. Epi: Christmas

December 1971

Jasper

I'm warm and comfortable and happy. I'm sitting on the window seat at the end of the hall on the second floor of the Cullen's house...my home. Rosalie calls this my favorite perch. It's a deep window seat with pillows and even a blanket now, I don't know who put all the stuff here I think all the ladies must have fixed it up when I started coming up here, they have definitely working together.

I like it here. My room is still on the first floor. I come up here and the view is nice with the trees and the mountains. I can tell for the most part whats going on in the house from here and it's also outside of Alice's room.

The sun has gone down and it's snowing. It's snowed quite a bit here in Forks this winter but I didn't grow up with snow and it still amazes me. Tonight it's Christmas Eve and the snow makes it really feel like a Dickensian Christmas. I did read A Christmas Carol by Dickens it was a nice story, a nice thought, if unbelievable.

I'm waiting for Alice to get ready and as I sit my pen starts scratching in the notebook I've come to carry.

Dear Jack,

I wish you could see the snow. I wish you were still here with me. I miss you. You would love Alice. Everything is so different here. So different to what I've known, to what we knew. I'm sorry you can't be here. I can never thank you enough for saving my life but thank you and merry Christmas.

Love alway your brother,

Jasper

Alice's door opens and I look up to see her. She comes out of her room looking like a winter princess in a dark blue cape like coat and white knit beret that frames her face.

"Are you ready to go?" She asks with a sweet smile.

I look back at the letter I've written. It's bitter sweet but it is finished. I close the book for now.

"Yes... I think so, I just need my coat." I try to sound enthusiastic, I'm a bit nervous about tonight, I hope I don't sound it. I don't want to mess up. I'm still not very comfortable going out with the Cullens, I just get overwhelmed easily. "Are you ready?" I ask her, knowing how excited she is for tonight. I know her answer.

"Oh yes I'm ready! I've been practicing carols all week with Edward. He leant me a book with all the words. I think I've got them memorized." She holds out the book for me to see.

"I think I could sing jingle bells but other than that I think I'll need that book." I'm feeling kinda shy about this caroling thing, it's not something I've ever done.

"Well, I'll bringing it and we can share." I nod and we stand together at the end of the hallway for a second, her hand closes around mine.

Suddenly I feel the urge to lean into her, to do something I haven't done before but have wanted to for so long. I can feel my nerves start to jangle as I try to work up the courage. Maybe I could just aim for her cheek...

"I have a Christmas present for you." Alice abruptly turns from me and pulls small package wrapped in white paper with a thin gold ribbon from her bag.

Disappointed at missing my opportunity. My nerves still rattling from the adrenaline pumping in my veins. I smile wide at the gift she's given me.

Inside the box I find a knit hat with a thick turned up ribbing. It's soft and feels warm. "I made it for you, it's a shade of dark green that I think brings out your eyes."

"Thank you." I hold it in my hands, I can't believe she made this for me. I'm staring at it not sure what to do with the amazing gift she's made for me. I don't remember anyone ever making me a gift before.

"Try it on" She giggles and I awkwardly comply. It fits, it just covers my ears and it's so big or bulky to fall in my eyes.

"It's great." I thank her and she looks very proud and pretty, her cheeks are a rosey shade of pink and her dark hair just peaking out from under her hat. I feel my own cheeks start to redden as my hand brushes her's and I wonder if not would be a good time to try again. Maybe just a quick 'thank you' kiss.

"Alice, Jasper come on it's time." Edward calls up the steps.

"It's Time!" Alice exclaims excitedly and looks ready to bounce down the stairs. She calms for a second and looks to me. "Ready?"

"Ready." I offer my arm and she takes it. We walk down stairs together arm in arm. I lean on the railing a bit but Alice, my dark haired pixie, my angel is all the support I truly need.

Alice

I hold back my urge to skip and we come down the stairs at Jazz's pace.

"We're going to be late."Emmett says dramatically as he paces by the door.

"I think the patients will still be there, Emmett." Rosalie says pointedly.

"Yes but will the cookies?" Haha of course with Emmett it's all about his stomach.

I hand Jazz his coat and Emmett hands him one of his crutches "here you go bro, you know this makes you our Tiny Tim. You remember your line?"

Jasper roles his eyes but indulges Emmett for the sake of the joke. "God bless us everyone." Putting the crutch under his arm.

He doesn't use them all the time now, his crutches. He's been walking pretty well and without too much pain lately. Of course I know he feels better having one when he's in a crowd of people or doing a lot of walking. It's security and protection, he does not like to be caught unprepared.

We all file out to the car. "Mom and Dad are all ready for the hospital." Edward explains as he loads guitars into the trunk of Emmett's car.

"I might need you to hold this for me for a little while tonight if you don't mind." Jazz motioned to his crutch as I buckled my seat belt. "Whys that?" I ask unsure what he needed.

"I've been practicing with Edward too." Was his cryptic answer before the car got to loud to have a conversation as Emmett sang at the top of his lungs. "Save it for the caroling Em." Edward ribs him.

I sit in the middle of the back seat in between Jazz and Rosalie. The Hales. Looking back and forth between the two they both wear twin pensive expressions. I join Emmett and sing.

We parked, file out, and all head into the hospital. I notice that Jasper seems a bit hesitant to enter the hospital again. I take his hand and squeeze it tight to reassure him. I know he's had an association in the past with hospitals pain and sadness emotions and feeling that were difficult for him to deal with. We cross the threshold and the atmosphere inside is different I think it feels lighter and warmer. There are Christmas decorations up and the nurses were all smiles.

Emmett is in the cookies before the rest of use are in the door, smiling at the nurses as they giggle at Dr. Cullen's growing son.

Edward pulls out his guitar and I am surprised to see him hand the other guitar to Jazz. I look at Jasper as he hands over his crutch. He smiles slyly and strums a chord softly.

"Welcome." Dr. Cullen comes down the hall followed by Mrs. Cullen. "Everyone's gathered and ready for you."

Edward

It's been a good night. We played for the children in the common area and then went to some rooms and visited some of the older patients. I think that everyone had fun. Alice certainly had fun. She hopped from place to place and sang loudly, encouraging others to join in.

Emmett, Rosalie, Mom and Dad all sang along as Jasper and I played accompaniment. Jasper was pretty quiet but he played just like we practiced.

At the end of the night Jasper and I put the guitars away. "Thank you." He says as he puts the borrowed guitar in its case. "you're welcome." I say sincerely. It's been good to find some common ground with him, my new brother.

I'm trying to think of what to say to him next, when one of the nurses comes up behind us. "Hi, Jasper." She touches his shoulder and he jumps and almost looses balance but keeps it together. I do see him grimace and I grimace with him. I know he doesn't like being surprised.

Nurse Line looks at him apologetically. "It's so good to see you looking so well. I just wanted to say Merry Christmas." He smiles at her and ducks his head bashfully. "Thank you, Merry Christmas."

I turn to see where everyone is and notice that Rosalie and Alice are talking with some of the nurses and standing particularly close to some mistletoe.

I turn and tap Emmett on the shoulder and point in the girl's direction. "Oh man!" He smiles wide and I nodded in Jasper's direction. Emmett looks at me knowingly and moves to Jasper's side.

I can just hear him whisper to Jasper. "So, do you know about mistletoe?" over Bing Crosby's 'I'll be home for Christmas.'

Jasper

Emmett explains the tradition of mistletoe to me and then sneaks up behind Rosalie to teach by example. He takes her by the shoulders points up so she see the mistletoe and then he kisses her afterwards he gives me a thumbs up.

I'm not sure about this but I figure it can't hurt to try, it is tradition. I leave my crutch leaning up against the bench were the guitars are sitting and make my way over to Alice. She smiles at me and I try to smile back but I think I must just look scared. "I hum, I wanted to..." I point up and direct her attention. "It's mistletoe, it's tradition to kiss underneath it."

He smile gets wider. "I know." Before I know it her arms around my neck and her lips are on mine. I blink and it's over and I look at her amazed. "Merry Christmas Jazz."

"Merry Christmas Alice."

fin.

Author's Note: Thank you for reading. Happy Holidays. I know there are probably typos, I will attempt to edit in the days to come, it was just inspiration struck and I had to get it up for Christmas. I am about 7000 words into a sequel to Shrapnel at the moment and hope to start posting it in the beginning of the new year. I'm planning on calling it 'Stanchion.' It will cover going home with the Cullens and other things before this Christmas chapter.


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